This Kothu is a wonderful mix of Sri Lankan Chicken Curry with sliced, day old roti/flatbreads, eggs, shredded cabbage and grated carrots served with spring onions, coriander and natural yoghurt. An incredible way to use up leftovers, this dish deserves a full recipe and post in its own right. Utterly moreish and loaded with extra vegetables, this recipe is a wonderful way to reduce waste in the kitchen whilst guaranteeing a fantastic meal.
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Prepare the vegetables and roti:
- red onion – peel and thinly slice or chop
- carrot – wash, trim and grate
- white/hispi/sweetheart cabbage – remove stem and finely slice leaves
- roti/flatbreads – shred
- spring onion – trim and roughly slice
- coriander – roughly chop
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a cast iron pan/frying pan/wok over a moderately high heat and add the onion. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, stirring form time to time.
Turn the heat to high and add the cabbage and carrot. Stir fry for around 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the moisture has disappeared and the vegetables have softened.
Push the vegetables to one side of the pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and pour in the beaten eggs. Leave on the heat until nearly set and then use a wooden spoon to break it up and mix into the vegetables.
Add the chicken from the curry and half the sauce. Continue to stir fry until hot, around 2 minutes.
Add the shredded roti, toss to heat through and then add the remaining curry sauce and half of the spring onions. Heat through.
Serve: sprinkle over the remaining spring onions and coriander and serve immediately with natural yoghurt on the side.
Equipment:
What is Kothu?
Kothu is a classic Sri Lankan street food which consists of sliced roti (flatbread), your choice of chicken, vegetable or fish curry, eggs, spring onions and some extra vegetables. Food is never wasted in Sri Lanka and this dish has developed as a way to use up leftover roti, curry and vegetables. However, it has become so popular that many street food vendors specialise in kothu.
Where is this recipe from?
This recipe is from Hoppers, The Cookbook. There are 3 Hoppers restaurants in London, at King’s Cross, in Soho and another in Marylebone. These award winning restaurants celebrate food inspired by the cuisines from Sri Lanka and South India.