The myth of Kottu Roti
Kottu Roti 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 left over 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.
Where to get Kottu Roti while in Sri Lanka
There are plenty of places around the island to try some Kottu Roti. Unfortunately, some places are not the cleanest and will only give you the runs the next day. Therefore, best eat Kottu Roti at the places that are known to be clean. Here are the best places in Colombo, Galle, Kandy and Tangalle.
Colombo
The Commons, 39 A, Flower Rd, Colombo, Sri Lanka, +94 112 694 435
Hotel de Pilawoos, 146 Galle Rd, Colombo, Sri Lanka, +94 77 741 7417
Chop Chop Kottu, Colombo, Sri Lanka, +94 114 951 515
Galle
Galle things Roti, 38 Church St, Galle, Sri Lanka
Cafe Hula Hula, 29b, Rampart St, Galle, Sri Lanka, +94 912 222 323
The Roti Shop
Kandy
The Kottu House, No.462, Katugasthota road,, Katugastota Rd, Kandy, Sri Lanka, +94 77 741 0666
Kandyan Muslim Hotel, Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy, Sri Lanka, +94 812 229 129
Eat Street, 64 Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Tangalle
Dream Family, Pagngnawasa Mawatha, Tangalle, Sri Lanka, +94 77 502 2575
Tangalle Rice and Curry Restaurant, Tangalle Road, Tangalle, Sri Lanka, +94 71 209 9696