Kottu

Ingredients

Godhamba roti

• 400 gplain flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 250 mlwarm water
• 60 mlvegetable oil, plus more for stretching

Chicken curry and gravy

• 500 gboneless chicken thigh, cut in 2 cm pieces
• 2 tbsproasted Sri Lankan curry powder
• 1 tspchilli powder
• ½ tspturmeric
• 2 tbspcoconut oil
• 1onion, sliced
• 3garlic cloves and 3 cm ginger, crushed
• 1 sprigcurry leaves
• 5cm pandan leaf
• 1cinnamon stick
• 250 mlthin coconut milk
• 1 tspsalt

Kottu

• 3 tbspcoconut oil
• 1large onion, sliced
• 1leek, finely sliced
• 1carrot, julienned
• 3green chillies, sliced
• 1 sprigcurry leaves
• 3eggs, beaten
• 1 tbspSri Lankan curry powder
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 1 tbspdark soy sauce
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Knead the flour, salt and water 8 minutes to a soft dough, then coat the balls generously in oil, cover and rest at least 2 hours; the oil is what lets the dough stretch to a windowpane.
2. Flatten each ball on an oiled steel bench and stretch it with your palms until it is almost transparent and roughly 30 cm across, then fold in the sides to a square parcel.
3. Cook the roti on a hot flat griddle, 1 to 2 minutes a side, until freckled but still pliable. Stack, cool, then chop into 1 cm ribbons with two blades or a heavy knife.
4. For the curry, toss the chicken in the curry powder, chilli, turmeric and salt. Fry the onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves, pandan and cinnamon in the coconut oil until the onion is golden, about 6 minutes.
5. Add the chicken, seal it 3 minutes, pour in the coconut milk and simmer uncovered 15 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy. Set aside a ladleful of loose gravy separately; that is what moistens the kottu.
6. Get a flat steel griddle or a wide heavy pan very hot with the coconut oil. Fry the onion, leek, carrot, chillies and curry leaves 3 minutes over high heat, keeping the vegetables crunchy.
7. Push them aside, pour the beaten egg onto the bare metal, let it set 20 seconds, then chop and scramble it in.
8. Add the chopped roti, the curry powder, pepper and soy, then work two metal blades or spatulas in fast alternating strokes, chopping and turning, for 2 to 3 minutes. This is where the noise comes from and it is part of the dish.
9. Add the chicken and a few spoons of the reserved gravy, just enough to coat without turning it soggy, and toss another minute.
10. Serve straight from the griddle, hot, with the rest of the gravy poured over at the table.

Technique

• Kottu is a leftovers dish by design: day-old roti and yesterday’s curry. Fresh soft roti turns to paste under the blades, so let it cool and dry first.
• The rhythmic clanging of the blades on the griddle is how a kottu stall advertises itself, and cooks in Colombo and Kandy each have a recognisable beat.
• Keep the heat high and work fast. Kottu is stir-fried, not stewed; if it steams, it goes heavy.

Substitutions

• No time for godhamba: use 6 shop-bought paratha or plain flour tortillas, griddled dry, then shredded.
• Cheese kottu, now standard in Colombo, adds 150 g grated cheddar at the end and is finished with a lid on for a minute to melt it.

Variations

• Dolphin kottu, chopped with extra egg and cheese into a rich, almost creamy version.
• Vegetable kottu, made only with leek, carrot, cabbage and egg.

History

Godhamba roti chopped on a hot griddle with vegetables and meat, said to have started in the east around Batticaloa as a way to use leftover roti.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kottu?

Kottu is a street food from Sri Lanka: chopped godhamba roti stir-fried noisily with vegetables, egg and curry. Godhamba roti chopped on a hot griddle with vegetables and meat, said to have started in the east around Batticaloa as a way to use leftover roti.

How long does Kottu take to make?

Kottu takes 35 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Kottu?

Yes, within limits. No time for godhamba: use 6 shop-bought paratha or plain flour tortillas, griddled dry, then shredded. Cheese kottu, now standard in Colombo, adds 150 g grated cheddar at the end and is finished with a lid on for a minute to melt it.