Quick take: Kottu is a street-food sound as much as a dish: chopped roti, vegetables, eggs, curry sauce, and heat. At home, the goal is texture and rhythm without needing a flat-top griddle.
Ingredients
- 4 godamba roti, paratha, or flaky flatbreads
- 1 cup cooked chicken or vegetables
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp curry sauce or gravy
- Chili flakes
- Soy sauce or salt
- Lime
Method
- Toast or warm roti, then chop into strips.
- Stir-fry onion, cabbage, carrot, and chili.
- Push vegetables aside and scramble eggs.
- Add roti and cooked chicken or vegetables.
- Splash in curry sauce and toss until hot.
- Finish with lime and serve immediately.
Cook's notes
- Leftover chicken curry makes the best kottu shortcut.
- Keep the pan hot so the roti stays lively instead of soggy.
- Frozen paratha is a useful substitute abroad.
Serving idea
Serve this with steamed rice, dhal, coconut sambol, and one fresh or pickled side. If you are cooking for the first time, make one curry and one sambol instead of trying to build a full feast.
Recipe note: ingredient brands, spice heat, coconut milk thickness, and cookware vary by country. Taste as you cook, and adjust salt, lime, chili, and coconut milk to your kitchen.