Kottu is a Sri Lankan dish made from godhamba roti and vegetables, egg and/or meat, and spices. The bread is described as very similar to the type found in the south Indiankothu parotta and Roti canai. A common dinner dish, kottu has become popular in cities with a significant Sri Lankan diaspora population, such as Toronto, London, Sydney, and New York City's Tompkinsville neighbourhood. Generally, the consumer chooses what and how much of the amount of ingredients are included if someone else is preparing. Kothu is considered the Sri Lankan equivalent of the hamburger, in terms of its popularity.
History
Kothu Roti, also known "Kottu" or "Kotthu", is a popular street dish that is widely consumed throughout Sri Lanka and is very popular in Sri Lankan cuisine. The word "Kothu" means "to chop" in Tamil and the name is derived from how the dish is prepared. Kothu Roti has its origins within the Sri Lankan Tamil community. The popular dish is believed to have been first created in the Batticaloa in the 1970s.
Preparation
Along with flatbread, the other ingredients are egg, meat, and salna, a spicy sauce/gravy. The ingredients are sautéed on a hot cast-iron griddle while being chopped and mixed by repeated pounding using heavy iron blades/spatula, the sound of which can be heard from a long distance. It is often served with Salna, a spicy gravy.
Kothu parotta
Kothu Parotta or Koththu Parotta is a variant that originated in Madurai, in the SouthIndian state of Tamil Nadu. It is made using parotta from Bleached flour; locally called Maida. Other variants of kothu parotta are Muttai kothu parotta, chilli parotta.It is also called Veechu parota. It is very popular in Tamil Nadu, and is also available in many other parts of India and in Sri Lanka. Like the parottas, it is common in roadside shops called thattu kadai. It is available in other south Indian states. Kothu idly is also a similar dish prepared with idly instead of parotta. It is also a very popular dish the Maldives, where it is available with many varieties of meat; Chicken koththu, Beef koththu, Tuna koththu, Crispy chili koththu, Valhomas Koththu and Mixed koththu.