Kottu Roti - Sri Lankan Recipe

 

A Sri Lankan delicacy - Kottu Roti are fine chopped Godhamba Roti (Parotta / Paratha), mixed with vegetables, egg, meat, spices and cheese.

Kottu Roti is also spelled as Kothu Roti and comes from a Tamil word "Sinhala" which means chopped roti. It is a very common dish of Sri Lanka and is also popular in other countries like Toronto - Canada, London, New York - USA and Sydney - Australia.

Today let us make a vegetarian version of Kottu Roti, so that all my vegetarian friends can also enjoy it, however I will also let you all know in which steps or places you can add egg and meat or fish, so my non-vegetarian friends can enjoy the same recipe their way.

 

This recipe includes two different recipes, first of Godhamba Roti and then Kottu Roti, because without making godhamba roti we cannot make kottu roti, dnt worry godhamba roti is nothing but the parathas that we make.

So what are we all waiting for, Let's Begin.....

Ingredients & Steps:

Take a big mixing bowl.

• Put 2 cups maida (All purpose flour)
• Add 1 tsp salt
• Add 1/2 tsp butter
• Add water (little by little)

Knead a very soft dough.

Make snooker ball size dough balls.

Fill a big bowl with cooking oil (refined oil / sunflower oil)

Dip all the dough balls in it.

• Leave it to soak for minimum 5 hours

Take out 1 ball at a time, on a plate along with little oil.

Stretch it with your hands and press it to make it thin, you can use a rolling pin, but we need a rather square or rectangle shape now.

• Fold each side towards the center by holding from the middle of each side length

Heat up a frying pan.

• Fry the Godhamba Roti

As it already has so much oil, hence oil will not be required, yet if you feel the requirement then you can use 1 tsp to 2 tsp oil to fry.

You can even stuff it with meat or cheese (paneer) or even beaten egg yolk then fold it and fry it to get the stuffed version of Godhamba Roti. We need the plain Godhamba Roti for making Kottu Roti.

Keep the Godhamba Roti aside and let it cool down.

Preparation of Gravy for Kottu Roti:

(Note: This is my secret version for making vegetarian Kottu Roti, in general this kothu roti is served with a chicken gravy and while preparing it - meat, fish, prawns and egg yolk is added).

Now.

• Take 2 tomatoes
• Take 1 big size onion
• Take 1/2 medium size potato
• Take 2 - 3 green chillies
• Take 1" ginger
• Take 5 - 6 cloves of garlic

Fine chop all the ingredients.

Heat a frying pan.

• Add 2 tbsp oil
• Add 1/2" cinnamon stick (dalchini)
• Add 2 dried red chillies
• Add 3 small green cardamon (chota elaichi)
• Add 2 cloves
• Add 1 black big cardamon (elaichi)

Fry them for 2 minutes.

• Add 3 - 4 cashew nuts (kaju)
• Add the chopped ingredients
• Add 1 tsp salt
  

Fry until garlic turns brown, onions turns translucent and tomatoes becomes soft.

Then let them cool down.

Once cooled, put them in a mixer grinder.

• Add 1 cup water

Grind and make a fine paste.

Again heat up a pan.

• Add 50g butter
• Add the paste we just made
• Add salt to taste
• Add 1 tsp turmeri (haldi) powder
• Add 1 tsp coriander (dhania) powder
• Add 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Add 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Add 1 tbsp fresh cream

Cook until oil separates from gravy.

• Add water if gravy becomes too thick.

Transfer it to a bowl, to be used later.

Take the Godhamba Roti and with the help of knife or scissor chop or cut into small julienne pieces.

Keep it in a bowl - we will use it in some time.

Preparation of Kottu Roti:

• Take 1 cabbage (fine sliced)
• Take 2 capsicum / bell pepper (cut into fine julienne)
• Take 1 carrot (grated)
• Take 3 onions (sliced)
• Take 5 - 7 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• Take 5 - 6 leek (green onion stems - fine julienne cut or chopped)

Heat up a pan.

• Add 2 tbsp oil
• Add onions
• Add garlic
• Add 1 tsp rosemary

Fry them until onions are soft

(TIP: Non vegetarians can fry prawn for 1 minute or chicken for 4 minutes, at the begining - then continue).

• Add sliced cabbage
• Add fine julienne cut capsicum or bell pepper
• Add grated carrots
• Add chopped leeks (green onion stems)
• Add 2 tbsp butter
• Add 2 tbsp tomato paste / puree

Stir fry for 2 - 3 minutes.

(TIP: Non vegetarians can add egg yolk now)

• Add 5 tbsp gravy (we made - for vegetarians)

Mix and cook for another 2 minutes.

• Add chopped Godhamba roti

Mix it well.

Cook for 2 - 3 more minutes.

 

Kottu Roti is ready to be served.

Serve it with the gravy that we made and some sauce, to be used as dips.

Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leafs.

Serving Size - 3 to 4 people.