Kottu
Kottu roti is Sri Lanka's most recognisable street food — a chopped mixture of roti bread, eggs, vegetables, and chicken or beef stir-fried on a hot griddle. The rhythmic metallic clang of the cleavers mincing the roti into small pieces is the soundtrack of Colombo and Jaffna streets: you hear it from dozens of metres before you see the stall. The dish emerged in the Tamil community, likely in Jaffna, as a way to use leftover roti. Curry sauce is poured in as the mixture sizzles on the griddle, giving each batch a slightly different character. Served with an extra curry on the side, kottu is a fixture of late-night eating.
Rich in protein
Filling and nutritious
Traditional recipe
Authentic taste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 8 godhamba roti or paratha (about 640 g total), thinly sliced into 1 cm-wide strips
- 600 g boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into 1.5 cm pieces
- 5 large eggs, lightly beaten with a pinch of salt
- 2 medium red onions (about 240 g), thinly sliced
- 1 large leek (about 200 g), trimmed, thinly sliced, and washed
- 2 small carrots (about 140 g), julienned
- 3 fresh green chillies, finely sliced (seeded for a milder finish)
- 2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp Sri Lankan curry powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder or sweet paprika
- 15 fresh curry leaves
- 400 ml warm chicken or coconut curry sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil
- 1.5 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp lime juice, to finish
How to make it
- 1Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat; season the chicken with 0.5 tsp of the salt and a pinch of the curry powder; cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and just cooked through (no pink in the centre); transfer to a plate.
- 2Add the remaining 3 tbsp of oil to the same pan; when shimmering, add the curry leaves — they will crackle for 5–10 seconds; add the sliced red onions and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened and translucent at the edges but still firm.
- 3Add the leek, carrots, and green chillies and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes — the vegetables should remain crisp-tender, not soft.
- 4Push the vegetables to one side of the pan; add the ginger and garlic to the open space and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant but not browned; stir in the remaining curry powder, the turmeric, and the Kashmiri chilli powder; toast for 20–30 seconds until aromatic.
- 5Pour the beaten eggs into the centre of the pan and gently scramble for 60–90 seconds until set but still glossy — break the curd into small pieces with the spatula.
- 6Return the chicken to the pan along with the sliced roti; toss everything together for 1–2 minutes so the roti picks up colour from the spices and chicken juices.
- 7Pour the soy sauce and warm curry sauce around the edge of the pan; use two metal spatulas (or the back of a heavy wooden spoon) and chop-and-toss the mixture vigorously for 3–4 minutes — keep cutting through the pile so the roti strips break down into small irregular pieces and soak up the sauce; the mixture should look glossy and unified, not soupy.
- 8Taste and add more salt if needed; squeeze over the lime juice, toss once more, and serve immediately while the kottu still steams, with an extra ladle of curry sauce on the side.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
