Sri Lankan Kottu Roti

Kottu roti is a famous Sri Lankan street food – a stir fry of shredded roti(parotta) mixed with chicken curry, vegetables and egg. It’s a simple but incredibly flavorful dish that you’ll be coming back for more. Let me show you how to make it at home with leftover curry and either fresh parotta or frozen ones.

What is Kottu Roti?

Apart from being a sought-after travel destination, Sri Lanka is famous for its culinary masterpiece Kottu Roti. Back in Sri Lanka, people hardly make it at home since you’ll find kottu roti in eateries on every corner of the country. If you ever walk down a busy street in Colombo in the evening, you’ll hear the rhythmic clitter-clatter of kottu knives on griddles long before you see the kottu stand – that’s the signature sound of kottu being made!

When I was growing up in Sri Lanka two decades ago, there were only three varieties of kottu roti – chicken, beef, and egg. Now there are so many varieties including cheese kottu, dolphin kottu, string hopper kottu to name a few.

Kottu roti or Kottu parotta (also spelled Koththu roti) is a mix of shredded gotamba roti (parotta), meat, curry, shredded vegetables, and spices, with an egg cooked on a flat griddle using metal choppers(similar to dough cutters) while chopping to mix everything together. This chopping motion is what’s called “kottu” in Sinhala – it literally means “chopped.”

Why This Recipe Works

I’ve made kottu countless times over the years. The beauty of this recipe is that it works perfectly in a regular home kitchen. You don’t need a large flat griddle or kottu knives. You can make authentic-tasting kottu at home using a large frying pan or wok.

The trick is to get everything pre-chopped and ready before you start. This is a quick-cooking dish once you begin, so having your mise en place ready is key. I’ve also tested this with both fresh and frozen parotta, and both works.

Also note that to make homemade kottu roti, you’ll need to have some curry already made. This is traditionally a “leftovers” dish – a brilliant way to transform yesterday’s curry into today’s delicious meal.

About the Curry for Kottu Roti

I usually use my Sri Lankan chicken curry. Or use leftover Sri Lankan beef curry, any leftover curry works. If I’m planning to make kottu roti, I prepare extra gravy in my curries and make it nice and hot with plenty of spices.

You can also make the curry without meat and use it for the kottu – just cook the gravy with all the spices. That being said, you don’t necessarily need curry to make kottu. Egg kottu can be made with just vegetables and spices. You can add some chicken stock powder or bouillon to make it more flavorful.

The key is having a thick, flavorful sauce. If your curry is too watery, reduce it on the stove first – this prevents your kottu from getting soggy.

What You Need for Kottu Roti

• Chicken curry: You need the meat and the curry sauce separately. Set aside the chicken pieces from the gravy.
• Roti: Gothamba roti in Sri Lanka, or in other words, parotta. I use frozen parotta which you can find in any Indian or Asian grocery store these days. Cook the parotta according to package instructions and shred it before using. You can also use Kerala Malabar parotta, laccha paratha, or even homemade roti.
• Vegetables: I use a mix of carrots and leeks. Some people use cabbage too, but it’s up to you. I like to cut carrots into thin strips or julienne. As for leeks, you can use both the white and green parts, or only the green part if you’re also using onion.
• Egg: Essential for binding everything together and adding richness.
• Spices: A mix of Sri Lankan roasted curry powder, red chili powder, turmeric, and black pepper. This is what makes kottu taste authentic.
• Fresh aromatics: Curry leaves (if you can find them), ginger and garlic paste, and green chilies add that authentic Sri Lankan flavor.

How To Make Kottu Roti-Step by Step

Prep Work (Do This First!)

1. Prepare the Roti If using frozen parata, cook them according to package instructions in a hot pan or tawa with a little oil. Alternately, you can air fry them for 3 to 4 minutes until cooked. Let them cool completely, then stack them and cut into thin strips. Turn 90 degrees and cut again into small bite-sized pieces.

2. Prep the Curry Separate the chicken pieces from the gravy. Shred or roughly chop the chicken into smaller pieces. Keep the gravy separate – you’ll add this at the end.

3. Prep Your Vegetables

• Cut carrots into thin matchsticks
• Slice leeks into thin rings (both white and green parts)
• Slice onions thinly
• Finely chop ginger and garlic (or use my homemade ginger and garlic paste)
• Slice green chilies

Cooking

Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, curry leaves, ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 2: Add the carrots and leeks. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften but still have some crunch. Stir in the spices and cook for few seconds.

Step 4: Move the veggies to the side. Break 2 eggs into the pan and let it cook until lightly set. Then scramble the eggs.

Step 5: Add the shredded chicken pieces to the pan. Using your spoon, break them into smaller pieces while mixing with the vegetables.

Step 6: Now add all the chopped roti pieces. Mix everything together vigorously. Break down any large pieces of roti while mixing. For mimic the “kottu” motion – you can use 2 spatulas or large spoons to chop and mix, if you prefer. Keep chopping and mixing for about 2-3 minutes. The roti should be well mixed with all the other ingredients.

Step 7: Turn the heat down to medium. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of curry gravy (or to taste). Don’t drown it – just enough to coat everything. Mix well, continuing to chop and stir. The roti will absorb the gravy quickly. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Step 8: Taste and adjust salt if needed. Some people like to add a small knob of butter at this point for extra richness (totally optional but delicious!) or some shredded cheese for cheese kottu.

Step 9: Serve your kottu roti hot, straight from the wok. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves if you like and extra curry on the side.