Chopped flatbread stir-fried with curry, vegetables, and egg on a clanging griddle — Colombo’s midnight anthem.

Where does Kottu Roti come from?

Kottu Roti is a Sri Lankan dish from Western Province (Colombo), Sri Lanka.

Can Kottu Roti be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Kottu Roti recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Kottu Roti take to make?

About 35 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 15 minutes cooking), serving 3.

Recipe

Name: Kottu Roti
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: 6 godamba roti (or flour tortillas), sliced into ribbons; 2 cups chicken curry with gravy (or curry sauce); 2 eggs; 3 cups total leeks + carrots + cabbage, shredded; 1 onion; 2 green chilies; 1 tbsp each ginger + garlic, minced; 2 tsp curry powder; 1 tsp chili flakes; 3 tbsp neutral oil; 1 lime

Asia → 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka → Western Province (Colombo)

Kottu Roti

Sri Lankan · easy · serves 3

prep 20 min · cook 15 min

~656 cal · 51g protein · 44g carbs · 30g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Chopped roti stir-fry with vegetables and curry sauce

🇱🇰 Western Province (Colombo)

You hear kottu before you see it: twin metal blades drumming on the griddle as godamba roti is chopped into ribbons with curry and vegetables. It’s Sri Lanka’s late-night food of choice, and the rhythm is half the recipe.

Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 3 —

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6 godamba roti (or flour tortillas), sliced into ribbons

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2 cups chicken curry with gravy (or curry sauce)

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2 eggs

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3 cups total leeks + carrots + cabbage, shredded

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1 onion

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2 green chilies

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1 tbsp each ginger + garlic, minced

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2 tsp curry powder

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1 tsp chili flakes

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3 tbsp neutral oil

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1 lime

Instructions

Fry the onion, ginger, garlic, and chilies in oil; add the shredded vegetables for 3 minutes.

Push aside, scramble the eggs (or turmeric tofu) in the pan.

Add the roti ribbons and half the curry gravy; toss hard.

Now the kottu move: chop and fold with two spatulas, drumming, 3–4 minutes so the bread frays and drinks the curry.

Loosen with more gravy, finish with lime, and serve hot with extra curry sauce alongside.

Colombo griddle tradition.

Ratings & reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to cook it.

🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Western Province (Colombo). Where the clang of kottu blades is the city’s heartbeat.

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Sri Lanka. The island of cinnamon, coconut, and fiery sambols.

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Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →