Today’s Special: Ali Baba’s Cauliflower Kati Roll

As flaky paratha bread toasted on the stove, chef Ismail Azizi sautéed spiced cauliflower and paneer fillings for kati rolls in the North Haven outpost of Ali Baba’s Kitchen — a growing, family-owned restaurant that fuses Indian, Pakistani, and Middle Eastern cuisines, and that began as a food truck in New Haven.

Jamshed Khalid, the owner of Ali Baba’s Kitchen, said during an interview on Tuesday that it took over six months to perfect the restaurant’s kati roll recipe. He developed it in 2008 with his wife, Sobia, whose recipes remain the basis for almost the entire menu. 

Kati rolls, along with lemon chicken and chicken kebabs, are among the business’s most popular dishes. 

Kati rolls, a popular Indian street food, typically involve wrapping paratha — a layered flatbread — around grilled beef kebabs and sautéed vegetables. At Ali Baba’s, the Khalids and their employees serve up kati rolls with meats like beef, lamb, and chicken, but also veggie-friendly options stuffed with cauliflower, paneer (a type of cheese), and peppers.

The North Haven location at 344 Washington Ave. began serving customers just before Christmas Day in 2024. Ali Baba’s also has a restaurant on Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, and it operates a lunchtime food cart on Cedar Street in New Haven’s medical district.

Over the last few years, Huda Khalid, Jamshed and Sobia Khalid’s eldest daughter, has been focused on helping the restaurant expand, but her involvement with Ali Baba’s Kitchen began at just 11 years old. ​“When I learned how to use Microsoft Word,” she said, ​“my dad asked me to make a sign for the food truck.”

After graduating from Southern Connecticut State University and spending over ten years working at advertising agencies, Huda decided to return to the family business. ​“I saw the potential of our small brand here,” she explained. ​“People had love for Ali Baba’s.”

With Huda’s support, Ali Baba’s Kitchen now offers kombucha on-tap from 860Kombucha, hosts public events (including speed dating and wellness panels), collaborates with Connecticut fitness influencers on charitable projects, and sponsors the Hamden High Baseball Team.

Huda still works closely with her parents, which she described as ​“stressful but rewarding.” She said that ​“there are tough days, but the sweet days are that much sweeter.” Jamshed agreed, explaining that they ​“had to learn how to meet in the middle.”

Ali Baba’s Kitchen is a dream come true for Jamshed. He was so determined to start a restaurant after immigrating to the U.S. that he brought with him pans and a tandoor from Pakistan. His wife was hesitant about the business at first, but she came around after seeing the intensity of Jamshed’s passion. Jamshed described Sobia as ​“a very excellent chef” and said that ​“without her help, [he] could not have started the business.”

Through the efforts of the Khalid family, Ali Baba’s Kitchen now serves over 500 people daily and can boast a very loyal customer base.

Dave and Ivette, a Wallingford couple out for lunch at the North Haven restaurant Tuesday, described the falafel as ​“delicious.” Since they rarely have the same days off from work, it was a ​“treat,” said Dave, to eat together at the restaurant.

Later, six students from a hands-on business course at Quinnipiac University entered the restaurant to discuss their business strategy project with Huda.

Two students, Jack Zrebiec and Zach Harvey, said that they opted to do their project on Ali Baba’s Kitchen because ​“everything about it is welcoming and soulful.”

Their description covers the food well. The spicy potato filling of the vegetable kati roll was warm and comforting, and the cabbage and herb‑y green sauce offset the richness of the paratha bread. Paired with a deep sea kombucha, the meal was flavorful but balanced. For this reporter, Jamshed was right when he said, ​“You just have to try it once. Then, you’re a fan.”