KOTTI ROTTI- SRI LANKA’S KING OF STREETFOOD

KOTTI ROTTI

Kottu Roti is a Sri Lankan street food favoured by locals and visitors alike. Some love it late at night after a stint of partying, others love it for breakfast. The coolest thing about Kottu is the way it’s made. Believe it or not, Kottu-making has a rhythmic beat. It’s an iconic food loved by all in Sri Lanka.

The legend says that once upon a time there was a kottu seller on the east coast of Sri Lanka that was closing up his roti stand when a group of tourists arrived asking for some food. The roti seller only had scraps leftover from the day, bits of cooked roti, some vegetables and leftover chicken curry. Instead of telling the tourists that he was all out of food, he made a mashup of the leftovers. Tourists loved it and raved about it in their travels. Thus, Kottu Roti was born. No one knows if this is a true story but it’s fun to have myths and legends, even about food.

The main ingredient is roti, which is cut up into small bits. Apart from roti, other ingredients added are usually onions, leek, cabbage, eggs and sometimes chicken, mutton, beef and the more modern version, with cheese.

The preparation of Kottu Roti has a rhythmic tune that can be heard blocks away. First, the onions and vegetables are put on the griddle, then the eggs. Once the eggs are scrambled and cooked, the cut-up roti is added to the mix. This is when the music starts. The Kottu cook puts the two metal spatulas to work and starts mixing and cutting the stuff on the griddle with a rhythm. Every cook has his own personal rhythm.