Kottu roti is a delicious street food dish from Sri Lanka that combines curry (chicken in this instance) with flatbread, eggs and vegetables.
This recipe contains instructions to make a Sri Lankan influenced chicken curry and takes around 75 minutes to complete. But you can use any leftover curry (is that a thing?), and if you do, the cooking time is reduced to around 10 minutes!
Kotthu Roti or Parotha from Sri Lanka
I have had a bit of a low-key obsession with kottu (kotthu) roti for quite a while now and it has rapidly become our favourite lazy day munch.
It’s Sri Lankan street food and it consists of roti or parotha (paratha) chopped on a hotplate with a combination of curry, eggs and vegetables and it is filthy good!
I’ve developed this recipe to enable it to be made on a stovetop in a large pan and it makes me very excited indeed.
You need to start with a curry, leftover curry is best, but the notion of leftover curry is lost on me! As a result, I start this recipe by making a quick Sri Lankan-influenced curry flavoured with the roasted Sri Lankan curry powder from my Pork Belly and black pepper curry.
Any leftover curry works fine, but it is better with a thick curry, something like my oxtail curry or lamb bhuna.
Once you have a curry, everything is very quick and easy!
Cut up some day-old or even shop-bought roti, some veggies beat some eggs, finally make an omelette, chuck everything one by one on top of the omelette and chop and stir. The name Kottu of Kotthu translates as “chop”.
Add some sauces and be prepared to have your mind blown!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use roti or paratha?
It really doesn’t matter, they both make a dish that is filthy good, you could even use my chapati recipe.
It is important that you use something that is not fresh! This is one of those instances where leftovers, store-bought or something you made a day or two ago is better.
Can I use a different curry?
Absolutely! This is glorious with any leftover curry, you will need around 300-350g (10-12oz) of curry to serve two people.
I’ve honestly over-ordered a takeaway curry to make this the following day using whatever I fancy and it is magic.
It also gives my boxty, sausage and egg sandwich and fry-up recipes a run for their money when it comes to hangover cures!
Can I use different vegetables?
Yes, just be sure they cook quickly, the kottu only spends around 10 minutes in the pan!
Can I make this in advance?
No, but all of the elements can be made in advance, in fact, they are better when made in advance!
But cooking needs to be done at the last minute, I serve this in the pan to keep it hot and we help ourselves when we sit down and eat.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes, just substitute the chicken curry for a vegetable curry. My vegetable bhuna or chole masala would be ideal choices!
Serving Suggestions
Kottu Roti is street food and all it needs on the side is some condiments and maybe a salad.
If I were to add a salad I would go for a chunky version of my kachumber salad.
When it comes to condiments and sauces, knock yourself and choose whatever you fancy!
A cucumber and mint raita would be beautifully refreshing, but I’ve gone with a mango chutney and tamarind chutney or sauce in these pictures.
Lime pickle or chutney is also divine with this recipe.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
For the Curry (feel free to use any curry):
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 25cm or 10″ frying pan with a lid, you can improvise a lid with foil if needed.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife
- Stirring spoons.
- Grater.
- Pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
For the Kottu:
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 30cm+ or 12″+ flat-bottomed pan, go as large as you can.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- 2 Large spoons to chop and stir.
- A small mixing bowl and fork to beat the eggs.
Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe
This recipe has been a bit of an obsession for me for quite a while, Kotthu roti (or parotha) is Sri Lankan street food that combines flatbread with eggs, curry and vegetables to create a dish that I can not get enough of.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Curry:
- 200g (7oz) Chicken Thigh Meat
- 1 Tsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 Tsp Black Onion Seeds
- ½ Tsp Black Peppercorns
- ¼ Tsp Fennel Seeds
- ¼ Tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 Small (35g) Shallot
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 15g (Half Thumb Sized Piece) Ginger
- 10cm (4") Piece of Cinnamon Bark
- 1 Black Cardamom Pod
- 12 Curry Leaves
- 6 Dried Kashmiri Chilli Peppers
- ½ Tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ¼ Tsp Turmeric
- ¼ Tsp Brown Sugar
- ½ Tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Ghee
- 1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
- 165ml (5.6oz) Tin Coconut Milk
For the Kottu:
- 200g (2-3) Roti, Paratha or Chapati
- 1 Small Green Pepper
- 100g (1½-2 Cups) Cabbage
- 100g (⅔ Cup) Red Onion
- 1 Tbsp Ghee
- 2 Eggs
- Generous Pinch Coarse Sea Salt
- Fresh Coriander (For Garnish Topping)
- Green Finger Chillies (For Garnish Topping)
Instructions
For the Curry:
- Begin by making the curry, this can be done 2-3 days in advance!
- Cut the chicken thigh meat into 5-7mm (¼") thick strips.
- Add the coriander seeds, onion seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds and cumin seeds to a 25cm frying pan, and toast them for a minute or two, then grind them in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder.
- Cut the shallot in half, peel it and then cut it into thin half-moon shapes.
- Peel the garlic and mash it to a paste, adding a pinch of salt helps with this process.
- Peel the ginger and grate it.
- Bash the cardamom pod with the side of a knife to crack it a little.
- Heat a 25cm (10") frying pan over a medium high heat and when it is hot add the ghee and the shallots, then cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Toss in the tomato puree, cook for 1 minute stirring and mashing to cook out the raw flavour.
- Add the curry leaves, dried Kashmiri chillies, cinnamon bark, black cardamom pod, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.
- Add the chicken, the ground seeds, salt, turmeric, chilli powder and brown sugar, then cook for 3-4 minutes, toss and stir regularly.
- Pour in the coconut milk, stir to combine, reduce the heat to low, add a lid and simmer for 20 minutes, remove the lid, turn the heat up to medium high and cook for 3-5 to reduce the sauce a little.
For the Kottu:
- Roll the roti into a "sausage then cut it into strips 5-7mm (¼") thick.
- Remove the stem and seeds from the green pepper and cut it into strips the same size as the roti.
- Finely shred the cabbage.
- Cut the red onion in half, peel it and then finely slice it.
- Chop the coriander for the garnish topping, use as much as you like!
- Slice the green chillies for the garnish topping, again, use as much as you like.
- Beat the eggs in a small mixing bowl.
- Just before you start cooking remove the cinnamon and cardamom pod from the curry and discard them.
- Heat a large (30cm or 12"+) pan over a high heat, when it is hot add the ghee followed by the eggs.
- When the eggs have almost set add the green pepper, cabbage and onion, and using 2 large spoons, chop the egg with the vegetables almost stir-frying them as you go.
- Add the curry you made earlier stir and cook until it has heated through, try not to break the egg up too much.
- Finally, add the roti and the salt, and stir until it is combined and heated through.
- Remove from the heat and garnish with some extra sliced red onion, green chillies and coriander.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 983Total Fat: 57gSaturated Fat: 33gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 342mgSodium: 1338mgCarbohydrates: 81gFiber: 16gSugar: 20gProtein: 45g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.