Lunchbox Series - "Bollywood" Burrito (Indian Rice and Beans Wrap)

Yes, I know — it’s a clichéd name for a burrito. It honestly drives me a little nuts how anything remotely desi gets labeled “Bollywood” these days. That said, this was the actual name of the Indian-inspired burrito I recently had at a Doodle and Switch café in Singapore.

For context, Doodle (a pasta bar) and Switch (a salad and wrap chain) have opened a joint outlet at a mall near my office. The menu includes a decent number of vegetarian options, which was reason enough for me to check it out over lunch.

Their Bollywood burrito consisted of cilantro lime rice, spiced lentils (yellow pigeon peas or toor dal), cucumber salsa, Indian-spiced yogurt, and a choice of tofu or roasted chicken.

Essentially, it was dal-chawal (rice and lentils) with raita, wrapped in a roti or chapathi. To be honest, it didn’t sound — or look — particularly appetizing at first glance. Dal with rice works well, and dal with chapathi works well, but when combined like this, it can easily end up bland. Adding yogurt, in my mind, would only dilute the spices further.

Still, I ordered it, hoping to be proven wrong. Chipotle — I’ve never missed you more.

You could blame my reaction on fiery Indian taste buds, but then again, if you’re going to call it a Bollywood burrito (cue eye roll), at least spice it properly.

That said, the dish did spark inspiration. I decided to create my own version of a Bollywood burrito — one that felt truer to Indian flavors. Enter: rajma chawal (kidney bean curry with rice), achar (pickle), and raita, all wrapped into a burrito. To me, this felt like the perfect desi response to a Mexican classic.

Rajma works beautifully as a substitute for pinto or black beans, raita replaces sour cream, and jeera rice (cumin-flavored rice) stands in nicely for cilantro lime rice.

The end result looked good enough to earn a spot in Nikhil’s lunchbox today.

The rajma and jeera rice were leftovers from the night before, so these can easily be prepared ahead of time and assembled fresh in the morning.

Ingredients (Makes 2 Wraps)

• 1 cup prepared rajma (kidney bean curry). This is a classic North Indian dish, traditionally enjoyed with hot jeera rice or chapathis. Alternatively, you can sauté boiled kidney beans with salsa, cumin powder, and garam masala for a quicker version.
• 1/2 cup jeera rice (I used brown rice, but white rice works just as well. Heat ghee or brown butter in a skillet, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Once they sizzle, add cooked rice and salt to taste.)
• 2 whole wheat tortillas or wraps (I used whole wheat chia wraps, but any wrap will do.)
• 4 leaves romaine or butterhead lettuce
• 1/2 cup cucumber raita (chopped cucumber mixed with hung or Greek yogurt, seasoned with cumin and chili powder)
• 2 pieces Indian red chili pickle or mango pickle, chopped (optional, but recommended if you like heat)
• 1/2 cup sliced red onion

Method

1. Warm the tortillas on a skillet.

2. Place one lettuce leaf on each tortilla.

3. Add 1/2 cup of rajma to each, followed by 1/4 cup of jeera rice.

4 Spoon over the cucumber raita and add the chopped pickle pieces.

5. Top with sliced red onions.

6. Finish with another lettuce leaf.

7. Roll tightly into a burrito and wrap in foil.

The lettuce acts as a barrier, ensuring the burrito doesn’t turn soggy by lunchtime.

Verdict

The lunchbox came back completely clean, accompanied by a rare review: “It was amazing!” That doesn’t happen often, so I’ll take it as a win.

The resident food critic also suggested adding paneer to the rajma next time, which makes perfect sense — I hadn’t included an Indian equivalent of Mexican cheese. A solid suggestion, and one I’ll definitely be trying the next time around.