Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe | Food Voyageur (2024)

Recipe Video Print

Thinly shredded roti mixed with the curry, vegetables and Sri Lankan aromatic spices.Want to know how to make kottu roti just like you get from the streets of Sri Lanka? well, look no further because I learnt to make kottu roti from a roti master which happens to be a street food vendor previously.

Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe | Food Voyageur (1)

What is kottu roti ?

This dish has become the national food of Sri Lanka (hypothetically). it can be found in every corner of Sri Lanka and every food shop makes kottu.
This is originally a dish made in the streets of Sri Lanka. Now even the five-star hotels will definitely have this on their menus, due to its popularity.

About Sri Lankan Kottu roti

If you ever visit Sri Lanka, no trip to Sri Lanka is complete without eating this amazing spicy dish.
It’s designed in a way that you can stand and eat this dish because it was meant to be a one-pot dinner kind of meal. You surely wouldn’t miss this dish in Sri Lanka because it is very noisy when the street food vendors are making it.

It is usually done on a flat grill with two sharp scrapers. And the rotti is cut and shredded through the process of bashing the scrapers on the hot grill. it’s hard to miss a kottu shop from miles away. When you hear the “Takata Takata Takata tak” sound then you know, that’s definitely kottu in the making.
The real name of this dish is Kottu roti but like all slangs in all countries we Sri Lankans started calling ‘it kottu’ or ‘koththu”

Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe | Food Voyageur (2)

Different Sri lankan kottu roti options

Chicken kottu
Egg kottu
Vegetable kottu
Red meat kottu ( Beef, goat)
Cheese kottu; this was a recent addition to the family of kottu

Can I make kottu roti at home?

Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe | Food Voyageur (3)

Yes, it’s so simple and easy. I am going to tell you a big secret, so have you ever wondered how this big 5 star hotels make kottu roti when you order it from room service, so probably you must be thinking the chefs must be making your kottu on a kottu grill!!! Nooooo, they have kottu rotti shredded and all the condiments ready to go and they would just make it in a wok or pan, the exact method I have used in my recipe.

Can I substitute the roti?

Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe | Food Voyageur (4)

You can buy ready-made paratha or roti from shops, but honestly, it’s so easy to make roti that you only need flour, water and salt. Click here to get my roti recipe so I would be recommending to make roti from scratch because it would give you an amazing flavour.

Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe | Food Voyageur (5)

As all street food in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan households never make it at home. Because it’s so easy to buy it anywhere and so cheap as well. But being in a foreign country I need to satisfy my cravings at home. Hence why I created this easy kottu recipe that is easy to recreate at home

You can also check my other Sri Lankan recipes

Watch how to make kottu roti

Step by Step recipe how to make kottu roti

Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe

Shredded roti mixed with chicken curry, vegetables and egg

Prep Time: 2 hours hours

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Calories:


Servings: 2 people

Equipment

  • Pots and Pans

  • Cooktop

Ingredients

Gothamba roti

  • 2 cup All-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup Water Tap water
  • Pinch of salt
  • Oil (Enough to cover the dough) Canola, vegetable oil

Kottu roti

  • 400 g Shredded Roti
  • 2 Carrots Shredded
  • 3 tbsp Red onion chopped
  • 2 sprigs Spring onion Finely sliced
  • 1 tsp Ginger Chopped
  • 1 tsp Garlic Chopped
  • 1 tsp Red Chilli Chopped
  • 10 Curry leaves Chopped
  • 2 Eggs

Instructions

Gothamba roti

  • Combine flour, water, salt in a bowl and mix well

  • Transfer the combined dough into a surface, knead the dough for 5-6 mins, until its smooth & soft ( Add flour to the work surface and on top of the dough, if it is too sticky)

  • Portion the dough into 6 equal portions

  • Using your palm in a circular motion, shape them into smooth balls

  • Add oil to a deep tray and add the prepared dough balls inside the tray with oil (the dough balls need to be submerged in oil) Leave at room temperature for 2 hours.

  • After the dough has rested for 2 hours, take them out of the oil and flatten the dough in a clean surface using your palm and fingertips until you have a thin circular shaped roti

  • Heat flat pan on a medium heat

  • Once the pan is heated cook the prepared roti on the pan cooking both sides

Kottu roti

  • Place the rotis one on top of the other. Roll it all together and slice it thinly.

  • Cook a thick boneless chicken curry and separate the meat from the gravy and shred the chicken using a fork

  • Add 3 Tbsp of oil to a pan on medium heat

  • Add onion, garlic, ginger, carrots, chilli, curry leaves and cook for 2 minutes until cooked

  • Make a small space on the inside of the pan and add the eggs

  • Cook the eggs while scrambling. Mix the vegetables and eggs together once the eggs are cooked

  • Add in the shredded roti, shredded chicken and the gravy. Mix together

  • Serve it warm

Video

Did you make this recipe?

I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @food_voyageur.

4 thoughts on “Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe”

  1. Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe | Food Voyageur (7)

    liza gerreyn

    09/29/2020 at 5:54 am

    Can i have daily recipes please

    Reply

    1. Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe | Food Voyageur (8)

      Rachi Fernandopulle

      09/29/2020 at 9:41 am

      Hey, have you subscribed to my email subscriptions? I send out recipes every week.

      Reply

Leave a Comment

Sri Lankan Chicken Kottu Roti Recipe | Food Voyageur (2024)

FAQs

Is kottu roti Sri Lankan or indian? ›

Kottu roti (Tamil: கொத்து ரொட்டி; Sinhala: කොත්තු රොටි), alternatively spelled kothu roti, is a Sri Lankan dish consisting of chopped roti, a meat curry dish of choice (such as beef, mutton, seafood, chickenalong with scrambled egg, onions, and chillies.

Which country invented kottu? ›

Kottu, also known as koththu rotti or kothu roti, is a Sri Lankan dish made from godhamba roti and vegetables, egg and/or meat, and spices.

What is the main dish of Sri Lanka? ›

Rice and Curry (and papadums!)

Sri Lankan curry and rice is the quintessential dish of the island and usually is eaten at lunchtime. There is an abundance of curries for you to choose from, so you'll always have a new dish to try. Some of the most popular of these are dahl, chicken, fish and gotu kola sambol.

What is kothu in English? ›

Kothu' means shredded or minced, and Kothu parotta recipe is all about shredded parotta tossed in fried vegetables or chicken or salna. It is the classic street food of South India, which one consumes as a snack, breakfast, or dinner.

Do Sri Lankans eat Indian food? ›

Influences from Indian (particularly South Indian), Indonesian and Dutch cuisines are most evident with Sri Lankan cuisine sharing close ties to other neighbouring South and Southeast Asian cuisines.

Why do Sri Lankans eat rice? ›

Rice has a sacred association among Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim populations alike. It is said that rice cooked with coconut milk was the first offering made to Buddha, and to this day the dish is a staple of Sri Lankan Buddhist culture during sacred festivals and important events.

Is kotthu healthy? ›

Dr. Jayatissa pointed out that transfaty acids are very high in kottu and in fried rice because palm oil is used to fry these foods. The palm oil is used to make Kottu and fried rice after using the oil two or three times to fry other varieties of food. Cholesterol deposits in the liver and cause a fatty liver.

Is Kottu Sri Lanka's hamburger? ›

Kottu is Sri Lanka's hamburger – everybody's favorite go-to fast food when craving something tasty and greasy. It resembles fried rice, except instead of rice, it's made with a type of roti known as godamba roti (a flat, crispy bread).

Where is Kothu paratha from? ›

Although the dish has origins in Sri Lanka, this dish has become a favorite across the pond. It also has fans in Singapore, Malaysia, and Maldives. This street food is popular in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Madurai in Tamil Nadu is famous for its special style of kothu.

What is the junk food of Sri Lanka? ›

Some of the most popular fast-food items in the world are Burgers, Pizza, French fries, Muffin, Fried chicken, and Doughnuts. But in South Asian countries, especially in Sri Lanka, pastry, rolls, wade, roti, pizza, and buns are the most popular fast-food items (Jayasinghe & De Silva, 2014).

What do Muslims eat in Sri Lanka? ›

Faluda, biryani, and wattalapam are foods that has its roots in the Sri Lankan Muslim community.

What is a typical Sri Lankan breakfast? ›

Apart from the breads and the dahl, a Sri Lankan breakfast will almost certainly include another type of curry, either potato, chicken or sometimes even fish curry. Potato curry is a soupy kind of curry with lots of coconut milk and soft potato chunks.

Is Kothu roti Tamil or Sinhalese? ›

Though no-one is certain exactly where kottu roti came from, it's mostly thought to have originated in the Tamil regions of Sri Lanka, particularly the towns of Batticaloa and Trincomalee. It was popularised in the 1970s as a cheap street-food snack, and a smart way to use day-old bread.

What is the history of kottu roti? ›

It began in the 1970s as a part of Tamil culture. Like most famous dishes worldwide, it has very humble beginnings, where a cook's creativity relies on spices rather than ingredients. The popular dish is believed to have been first created in the Batticaloa or Trincomalee.

What language is kottu? ›

Kottu or koththu roti simply means chopped bread in Sri Lanka's local language Sinhala. Kottu or koththu roti simply means chopped bread in Sri Lanka's local language Sinhala.

Are hoppers Sri Lankan or Indian? ›

String hoppers are nests of noodle-like dough and are a Sri Lankan breakfast staple. Common accompaniments include curries, curd (fresh buffalo yoghurt), chutneys and palm syrup known as 'trickle'. They are healthy and comforting, and their versatility means they can be enjoyed with any meal or even as a snack.

Is Appam Sri Lankan? ›

An appa or appam is a type of thin pancake originating from South India and Sri Lanka. It is made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk, traditionally cooked in an appachatti, a deep pan similar in shape to a wok.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Foster Heidenreich CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 6597

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (76 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Foster Heidenreich CPA

Birthday: 1995-01-14

Address: 55021 Usha Garden, North Larisa, DE 19209

Phone: +6812240846623

Job: Corporate Healthcare Strategist

Hobby: Singing, Listening to music, Rafting, LARPing, Gardening, Quilting, Rappelling

Introduction: My name is Foster Heidenreich CPA, I am a delightful, quaint, glorious, quaint, faithful, enchanting, fine person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.