Street Icon · Chopped & Stir-Fried
Kottu Roti
Photo: Chamal N / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
You'll hear kottu before you see it — vendors chop the roti with two flat blades in a rhythm so distinctive it's basically street music.
Shredded godamba roti (a flaky flatbread) is chopped and stir-fried on a flat griddle with egg, vegetables, and a choice of chicken, beef, or cheese, all doused in curry sauce. It's sold from open-fronted stalls across the island, usually late into the night.
Why it's made this way: Kottu began as a practical way to use up leftover roti — the bread is chopped fine so it soaks up curry and cooks fast, making it perfect for busy roadside stalls that need to turn out cheap, filling food quickly.
Roughly what's in it
600kcal
22gprotein
68gcarbs
26gfat
Estimated per typical street-vendor portion — not lab-tested.
More from Sri Lanka
Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries.
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Photo credits.