Kottu roti

Name: Kottu roti
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3 plates
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 400 g Wheat flour, as 4 to 5 shop parathas or roti canai, cooked and cut into 2 cm strips; 300 g Chicken, boneless thigh, cut small; 3 piece Egg, beaten; 1 medium Leek, finely shredded; 1 medium Carrot, julienned; 150 g Cabbage, finely shredded; 1 medium Onion, sliced; 3 piece Fresh chilli, green, sliced; 3 clove Garlic, chopped; 15 g Ginger, chopped; 2 sprig Curry leaves; 1.5 tbsp Curry powder, Sri Lankan roasted curry powder if possible; 1 tsp Chilli flakes; 0.5 tsp Turmeric; 150 ml Coconut milk; 1 tbsp Soy sauce; 1 tsp Black pepper, coarsely ground; 3 tbsp Neutral oil; 1 tsp Salt; 1 piece Lime, wedges

කොත්තු රොටී

Sri Lanka's chopped roti stir-fry: shredded flatbread, egg, vegetables and chicken curry beaten together on a hot griddle.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: කොත්තු රොටී.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Rest: None
Total: 40 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Hot
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Kottu is leftover godamba roti, a stretched flaky flatbread, chopped on a hot griddle with egg, leek, carrot, cabbage, onion, green chilli and whatever curry is around, usually chicken. Street cooks do the chopping with two metal blades in a clatter you can hear a block away. At home a wide frying pan and two spatulas do the same job more quietly. The roti soaks up the curry gravy and fries at the edges; the vegetables stay a little crisp. Shop-bought parathas or roti canai are the honest shortcut for the bread.

What you'll need

20 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 20 ready

3 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Wheat flour, as 4 to 5 shop parathas or roti canai, cooked and cut into 2 cm strips400 g
Chicken, boneless thigh, cut small300 g
Egg, beaten3
Leek, finely shredded1 medium
Carrot, julienned1 medium
Cabbage, finely shredded150 g
Onion, sliced1 medium
Fresh chilli, green, sliced3
Garlic, chopped3 clove
Ginger, chopped15 g
Curry leaves2 sprig
Curry powder, Sri Lankan roasted curry powder if possible22 ml
Chilli flakes4.9 ml
Turmeric2½ ml
Coconut milk150 ml
Soy sauce15 ml
Black pepper, coarsely ground4.9 ml
Neutral oil44 ml
Salt4.9 ml
Lime, wedges1

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Make the quick curry: fry half the onion, garlic, ginger and curry leaves in 1 tablespoon of oil 3 minutes. Add chicken, curry powder, turmeric, chilli flakes and salt. Stir 3 minutes, add coconut milk, simmer 10 minutes until thick. Set aside.
17 min
Step 2
Wipe the pan and heat the remaining oil over high. Fry the rest of the onion, the green chilli, leek, carrot and cabbage 3 minutes, keeping some crunch.
3 min
Step 3
Push the vegetables aside, pour in the eggs and scramble 1 minute. Add the roti strips and the chicken curry with its gravy.
2 min
Step 4
Now chop. Use two spatulas or a metal spatula and a blunt knife to cut and toss everything together on the heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the roti has taken on the gravy and the edges are frying.
5 min
Tip: Noise is a sign you are doing it right.
Watch: Metal tools on a non-stick pan will scratch it. Use a steel pan or wooden spatulas.
Step 5
Season with soy sauce and plenty of black pepper. Serve at once with lime wedges and more curry gravy on the side if you have it.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 1029 kcal
Protein: 55.3 g
Carbs: 125.7 g
Fat: 33.5 g
Saturated fat: 13.7 g
Fibre: 9.3 g
Sugar: 9.7 g
Sodium: 1163 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat
Eggs
Soy

Dairy-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.

Substitutions

Chicken curry → Leftover vegetable or mutton curry
Any curry works. This is a leftovers dish by nature.
Shop paratha → Homemade godamba roti
A plain flour dough stretched paper-thin and folded. Closer to the original.

Tips

Day-old roti works better than fresh. Fresh is soft and goes soggy.
Sri Lankan roasted curry powder is darker and more coriander-heavy than Indian blends. Worth tracking down.

History & culture

Kottu is late-night food across Sri Lanka, sold from roadside kades until well after midnight. The rhythm of the blades is part of the sell. Students eat it after exams, drinkers after bars. Cheese kottu and dolphin kottu, a sharing pile, are newer menu items.

Kottu was born in Batticaloa on the east coast in the 1970s, by most accounts, as a way to use up unsold roti. It spread to Colombo in the 1980s and across the island after that. It is the one dish Sri Lankans abroad cannot find a replacement for.

Modern adaptation — Street kottu is made with godamba roti on a flat iron griddle with two cleavers. This home version uses shop parathas and a frying pan, and the chicken curry is simplified to a quick one made in the pan.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Kottu roti take?

40 min all in — 20 min prep, 20 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 3 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Hot.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Eggs, Soy. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Frying pan, Chef's knife, Cutting board.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1 tsp.

How much soy sauce?

1 tbsp of Soy sauce.

What can I use instead?

Chicken curry → Leftover vegetable or mutton curry. Any curry works. This is a leftovers dish by nature. Shop paratha → Homemade godamba roti. A plain flour dough stretched paper-thin and folded. Closer to the original.

What should I watch for?

Metal tools on a non-stick pan will scratch it. Use a steel pan or wooden spatulas.

Any tips from this recipe?

Day-old roti works better than fresh. Fresh is soft and goes soggy. Sri Lankan roasted curry powder is darker and more coriander-heavy than Indian blends. Worth tracking down.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.