Chicken Kottu Roti

This Sri Lankan dish made from godhamba roti, vegetables, chicken and spices is an immensely famous street food.

It is a comforting, filling and a flavoursome meal. Well just to whisper a perfect anti-hangover food to add to list for Friday evenings.

I came across this simple, delicious and nutrient packed bowl at my workplace few years ago when I was more of a vegetarian pro.The strips of flatbread mixed with veggies was my fascination, as I was aware of using Indian bread with curries and wraps, this recipe just added an overall new outlook to the use asian flatbread. The first look on the food appeared more like pasta to my eyes.

While reading a book on Colombo travels, recently it refreshed my memories and luckily had some curry and chappati left from previous meal, decided why not to give it a try. The chopped roti pieces soak up all the spices and flavor of the chicken and vegetables without becoming soggy, and produce a dish of irresistible flavor which is healthy and satiating.

Ideally godhamba roti, which is a Sri- Lankan flatbread is used, this can be replaced with its cousin the Indian flaky paratha. Traditionally leftover chicken curry and roti were combined in the dish to make the most of the uneaten lunch or dinner, what a wonderful method to use leftover and avoid food wastage.

If you do not have any left over just prepare a chicken curry and in the most struggling scenarios to find asian paratha, use cut strips of flour tortilla.

I have used chicken, please be free to add meat of your choice beef, pork and many more.

Leeks, spring onion, carrots and cabbage are some common veggies used in Chicken Kottu, be free to add seasonal fresh range of vegetables to your taste.

I have paired it up with raita, gravy can also be used as an accompaniment.

Squeeze of lime and some fresh salad would be bliss.

Chicken Kottu Roti

Pooja Yadav

This Sri Lankan dish made from godhamba roti, vegetables, chicken and spices is an immensely famous street food.

It is a comforting, filling and a flavoursome meal. Well just to whisper a perfect anti-hangover food to add to list for Friday evenings.

I came across this simple, delicious and nutrient packed bowl at my workplace few years ago when I was more of a vegetarian pro.The strips of flatbread mixed with veggies was my fascination, as I was aware of using Indian bread with curries and wraps, this recipe just added an overall new outlook to the use asian flatbread. The first look on the food appeared more like pasta to my eyes.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Sri Lankan

Servings 4

Equipment

• Wok

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil as required
• 1 tbsp each minced garlic & ginger
• 1 -2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2-3 eggs
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 8-10 fresh curry leaves
• ½ medium red onion finely chopped
• 1 cup mixture of finely grated carrots & chopped spring onions
• 1 cup sliced leeks washed, white part only
• ¼ of a shredded white cabbage
• 2 cups shredded leftover chicken curry
• 1-2 green chillies for some heat (optional)
• 6 asian flatbread
• Salt and pepper to taste

Curry Spices For Kottu

• 1 tbsp Sri Lankan Curry powder
• ⅓ cup chicken stock
• ½ coriander powder
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ cumin powder
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder for extra heat ( optional)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

 

• In a large wok heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is heated, add the mustard seeds , let them splitter, stir in chopped onion and saute until softened. Add the ginger and garlic saute for a few seconds. Do not let them burn, followed by tomato purée, green chillies and curry leaves. Let it cook for a minute.
• Add all the vegetables (except for the spring onion and carrots), salt to taste and stir-fry for a few minutes. Add the chicken, pepper and the curry sauce, further stir-fry until the vegetables are just starting to soften. If you don't have leftover curry sauce, then add the ingredients for the curry spices as given above
• Add the carrots and mix them in. Whisk the eggs together in a bowl, and season with a salt. Create a well in the middle of the vegetable mix and add the eggs into this well. Let the eggs cook while scrambling them. When the eggs are almost cooked, you can mix it with the vegetables and chicken. Taste and season with salt/ pepper / chillies if required.
• Add the shredded roti, and mix through with the vegetables and chicken. Mix frequently until the shredded flatbread is completely coated with the all the spices and curry sauce. Cook for about 8-10 minutes.
• Ready to devour with gravy or raita or sambhar.

Notes

Godhamba Roti can be replaced with store bought or homemade paratha roti. These roti are almost identical to godhamba roti.

If you cannot find these roti, then you can use tortillas instead.

I prefer the eggs in the background of the recipe to add flava, binding and texture, hence have added two small eggs, without masking the presence of chicken curry and veggies.

Meat option; cooked with beef, pork bite size chunks instead of chicken while vegetarian option; add veggies of the season or to your preference.

I have used chopped green chillies for heat, this option can be skipped or deseed it to remove the heat element.

Coconut-cooking oil is used traditionally, please substitute the oil to choice, I have used sunflower oil.

Alternatively use madras curry powder if Sri-Lankan Curry Powder is unavailable.