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Vegetable kottu roti
Kottu roti: chopped godamba roti stir-fried with vegetables, egg and curry gravy, Colombo street style
After dark in Colombo you hear kottu before you see it: the rhythmic clang of two steel blades chopping roti on a hot flat-top at every street stall from Pettah to Wellawatte. Shredded godamba roti is stir-fried with leeks, carrot, cabbage, onion, chilli and egg, then moistened with a spoonful of spicy curry gravy so it's soft, smoky and messy in the best way. Stalls usually ladle on chicken curry gravy; we make a quick vegetable curry sauce instead, and the egg keeps it vegetarian rather than vegan. Leftover parathas or frozen flaky flatbreads stand in well for godamba roti. The common mistake is overcrowding a small pan, which steams everything; cook in two batches if your pan is under 30 cm. Chef's tip: chop the roti into strips while it is still slightly warm, then let it dry for 10 minutes so it fries rather than turns mushy.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the curry sauce
For the kottu
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Make the curry sauce: heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium heat and fry ½ onion for 4 minutes until soft. Add 3 garlic cloves and ⅓ oz fresh ginger for 1 minute, then 2 tsp Sri Lankan roasted curry powder, 1 tsp chilli powder and 1 tbsp tomato purée for 30 seconds.
6 minStep 2: Stir in ¾ cup coconut milk, ½ cup water and ½ tsp salt and simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes, until it is the thickness of single cream. Keep warm.
5 minStep 3: Spread the strips of 4 godamba roti or flaky parathas on a tray and leave them to dry out for 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
10 minStep 4: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in your largest frying pan or wok over a high heat until it shimmers. Add 1 onion, 2 green chillies and 10 fresh curry leaves and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the onion starts to char at the edges.
2 minStep 5: Add 1 leek and 1 carrot and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then 5 ½ oz white cabbage for 1–2 minutes more. The vegetables should be bright and just wilted, still with crunch.
4 minStep 6: Push the vegetables to the side, pour 3 eggs into the clear space and scramble for about 1 minute until barely set, then mix them through the vegetables.
1 minStep 7: Add the roti strips, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Using two metal spatulas, chop and toss everything together over a high heat for 3–4 minutes, until the roti is hot, a little crisp at the edges and evenly mixed.
4 minStep 8: Pour over about two-thirds of the curry sauce and keep chopping and tossing for 1 minute until it's absorbed; the kottu should be moist, not wet. Serve at once with the rest of the sauce on the side and 3 lime wedges.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetable kottu roti take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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