Kottu

One of Sri Lanka’s favourite foods, kotthu is genuinely lovely. It is made using chopped up roti/paratha (which if you are lucky enough to have a Sri Lankan/South Indian shop handy can be bought already chopped and frozen) which is then fried up with a selection of veggies, spices including curry leaves and leftover curry. It is quick and easy to make. In Sri Lanka it is a popular streetfood, where it would be cooked on a hot griddle, but in a domestic kitchen it is best made in a wok or a deep frying pan. Our recipe uses two stages, first to make a quick chicken curry to use in it, then the actual kotthu. But if you have some leftover curry you don’t need to worry about the first stage, just use the leftovers. And of course it works just as well omitting the meat altogether.

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Ingredients

2 Chicken fillets, diced
1 Onion, finely chopped
3 tsp Garlic/Ginger paste
2 Red Chillies, finely chopped
3 tsp Sri Lankan Curry blend
3 tsp Curry Leaves
1 cup Coconut Milk, made up with 2tbs Coconut Milk Powder
2 Roti, chopped into short strips
2 Red Onions, finely sliced
1 Green Pepper, finely sliced
2 Eggs, beaten and lightly fried
1/2 Sweetheart Cabbage, finely sliced
1 tbsp Curry Leaves
4 Green Finger Chillies, sliced

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Method

1

For the curry; in a saucepan heat a tablespoon of coconut oil and fry up the onion with the garlic/ginger paste for 5 minutes before adding the chicken. Keep frying, add the chilli and the curry leaves then the Sri Lankan curry blend, and fry till the aroma rises from the pan.

2

Now add the coconut milk and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Before moving onto the kotthu, beat the two eggs and lightly fry them, then chop up roughly

3

Now for the kotthu. Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Add the vegetables and stir fry on a high heat for a few minutes before adding the chopped up roti/paratha, the curry leaves and the Sri Lankan curry blend. Keep stir frying, making sure the bread doesn’t stick and all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

4

Add a ladle of the prepared chicken curry, tossing and stirring for another few minutes until everything is piping hot and well mixed up, and finally add the chopped up fried eggs to the pan.

5

Serve immediately, garnished with some chopped red onion, coriander, chilli and a spoonful of yoghurt on the side.

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