Sri Lankan Kottu Roti - Street Food
Sri Lankan Kottu is very popular as a super delicious lunch or dinner. It is also spelled as “Kothu Roti” or “Koththu Roti”. The Kottu dish is usually served with a chicken curry (Gravy) and sometimes with scrambled egg as well.
However, it is also often offered as a fast food. Therefore, this food is popularly known as a Sri Lankan Street food. However, you can find Kottu in any hotel since it is a dish loved by everyone alike.
It is quite a fascinating one-pot dish which you can enjoy using a spoon or fork while taking a short break in the middle of one of your daily tours.
What is the special taste?
I believe the special taste of Kottu comes with so many ingredients being well smashed on a hot griddle by an experienced hand and served smoking hot. The mouth watering aroma of the hot dish is extra special.
Why is it an entertaining Street Food ?
Above all, people love to See and Hear how they are being prepared using large steel blades to smash everything together on a smoking hot griddle. The experienced hand, sometimes referred to as “Kottu Bas” would use his hands to nicely move the food stuff while mixing and chopping them. The art of preparation of this one-piece dish makes it an entertaining dish.
He also uses the chopping blades on the griddle to make a rhythmic sound which makes you hungry waiting for your dish that is about to come to your table.
Infact, the Kottu Roti making sound is a well known and stamped sound that you can hear when you walk in the streets of Sri Lanka especially at night.
How is it made ?
Kottu Roti is made of a type of flatbread known as “Godamba Roti '' or “Paratha” deriving from India. It is a wheat flour roti. The Roti is chopped into small pieces and then mixed with vegetables, eggs along with either a type of meat or fish while they are being fried. When you mix with chicken, you name it Chicekn Kottu and when mixed with fish, it becomes Fish Kottu.
People love them with different ingredients and in different tastes. You can find Egg Kottu and Cheese Kottu as well. Vegan type is also available for vegetarians.
The ingredients are cut and kept prepared beforehand and Instantly cooked and offered hot. The Roti pieces, vegetables and precooked meat or fish are mashed together on a hot griddle using two steel chopping blades. Pieces of onion and green pepper along with flavouring spices are added for improved taste.
Popularly used vegetables are carrots, leeks and cabbages along with spices such as garlic, curry leaves, pandan leaves, ginger, chili, cardamom and cinnamon.
The side dish is usually made either with meat broth or the gravy of meat curries. The gravy is slightly thick when compared to the normal meat broth due to the spices mixed in. It makes your morsel of Kottu more soft in texture, easier to digest and tastier.
There is an important tip about having Kottu with the gravy dish. You can pour a little bit of gravy onto your plate and see how hot it is along with a morsel of kottu before you enjoy the dish. If it's too hot, you can have only a little bit of gravy mixed into your dish.
Different Kottu Roti Options available in Sri Lanka.
This one-pan meal gives different options based on the main ingredient other than the flatbread or Paratha.
Chicken Kottu (With Roasted Chicken or Curried Chicken)
- Egg Kottu
- Beef Kottu
- Fish Kottu
- Seafood Kottu
- Vegetarian Kottu
- Cheese Kottu
- Chicken Cheese Kottu
- Prawns Kottu
The most loved is Chicken Kottu.
Is it safe to consume Kottu made anywhere ?
The doubt whether the vendors use fresh ingredients to prepare Kottu Roti bothers anyone. Especially when it comes to street food, you need to be extra vigilant to choose clean places who have food ethics.
Is it healthy ?
When fresh ingredients are used along with good coconut oil to fry, it is a healthy food. In fact, it is heavy, hence not very good to be often consumed by those who should not take greasy food due to non contagious diseases like diabetic and heart attacks.
Is it too spicy ?
Usually, the locals love to have it spicier. However, you can ask for a Kottu dish which is gently spiced. Especially, the gravy can be less spiced to your liking.
Kottu prices in Sri Lanka ?
The price usually depends on the type of Kottu and the size of the dish (large or small) you order. Average price varies from LKR 700/- to LKR 3000/- depending on whether you take street food or from a hotel.
