Chicken Kottu Roti

, from Issue #78. May, 2018
Photography by Olivia Galletly.
Chicken Kottu Roti

This is a popular Sri Lankan street food. I have included a chicken curry to use for it. However, leftover curries work too!

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

Chicken Curry
1 thumb fresh ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons ground coriander
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds, plus extra to serve
4 cardamom pods
½ teaspoons chilli powder
6 fresh curry leaves
4 chicken thighs
4 tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut milk
Chicken Kotu Roti
olive oil, for cooking
1 red onion, sliced
1 thumb ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 fresh curry leaves, plus extra to serve
1 hot green chilli, chopped
1 carrot, julienned
8 cabbage leaves, thinly sliced
1 spring onion, sliced
3 eggs, beaten
4 curried chicken thighs, cut into 2cm chunks (see recipe above)
½ cup curry sauce, plus extra to serve (see recipe above)
4 fried roti, cut into thin strips
lime wedges and coconut sambal, to serve

METHOD

Chicken Curry: Heat a little oil in a heavy-based casserole dish. Add the minced ginger and garlic and fry for 2 minutes. Add the spices and curry leaves and fry until aromatic.

Add the chicken thighs and cook on both sides until golden. Add the tomatoes and salt and reduce the heat, cook with the lid on for 10 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and cook with the lid off for a further 10 minutes or until thickened. Discard cardamom pods.

Kotu Roti: Heat a generous glug of oil in a large sauté pan. Add the red onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and green chilli and fry for 4 minutes. Add the carrot, cabbage and spring onion and fry until the vegetables have softened.

Add the whisked eggs and, when set, add the chicken and curry sauce and stir until well combined. At the last moment, add the roti strips and toss to combine.

Season to taste with salt. Top with extra fried curry leaves and mustard seeds. Serve with lime wedges, coconut sambal and extra curry sauce. Serves 4.