Kottu Roti
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's ultimate late night street food, made by rhythmically chopping leftover godamba roti (a flaky flatbread) on a flat iron griddle with two heavy metal blades, mixing it with shredded vegetables, egg, and a choice of chicken, mutton, or cheese in a spiced curry sauce. The rapid clanging of blades against the griddle creates a percussive symphony that echoes through every street corner after dark, essentially advertising itself. Each kottu stall has its own signature rhythm. The roti shreds absorb the curry sauce while keeping their chew, creating a texture somewhere between fried rice and pasta. Invented in Colombo's street stalls in the 1960s, it was born purely as a way to use up day old roti, and became the island's most iconic comfort food entirely by accident.
Ingredients
- 4 piecesgodamba roti or paratha (day old)
- 200 gboneless chicken (shredded)
- 2 largeeggs
- 1 cupleeks (finely sliced)
- 1 cupcabbage (shredded)
- 0.5 cupcarrots (julienned)
- 1 mediumonion (sliced)
- 4 clovesgarlic (minced)
- 1 sprigcurry leaves
- 1 tbspSri Lankan curry powder
- 1 tspchili flakes
- 1 tbspsoy sauce
- to tastesalt
- 3 tbspvegetable oil
- 0.5 cupcurry sauce or gravy
Directions
- 1
Tear or roughly chop the day old roti into small, irregular strips about the size of your thumb.
- 2
Heat oil on a large flat griddle or heavy skillet over high heat. Add curry leaves, garlic, and sliced onions, stir frying until the onions soften.
- 3
Add the shredded chicken and cook through, then toss in the leeks, cabbage, and carrots, stir frying for 2 minutes until slightly wilted but still crunchy.
- 4
Push the vegetables to one side, crack the eggs onto the griddle, and scramble them roughly before mixing everything together.
- 5
Add the roti strips to the griddle. Using two heavy metal spatulas or cleavers, chop and toss the roti into the vegetable and egg mixture with a rapid rhythmic motion.
- 6
Season with curry powder, chili flakes, soy sauce, and salt. Pour in the curry sauce and continue chopping and tossing until the roti has absorbed the sauce and everything is well combined.
- 7
Serve immediately on a plate or in a banana leaf, with a side of curry sauce for extra dipping.