Kothu roti!
Hopper’s is this lovely Sri Lankan restaurant that my dad and I would always go to whenever he would come to visit us.
So first the disclaimer – this is not the Hopper’s recipe nor will it turn out like that! Not even a distant 2nd cousin of the one served there.
This is a humble attempt by my sister and I as to what we think is the famed kothu roti.
Ingredients
Chicken 400-500g
4 Malabar paranthas – cooked and ready to eat
3 medium sized onions
1 carrot
Small bowl of spinach
2 medium eggs – beaten
Small bunch of fresh coriander
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
2 green chilli’s (whole)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric / haldi powder
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil + 1/2 tbsp
1 tsp of rai (mustard seeds)
Fistful of curry leaves
Quarter cup of boiled peas
1 spring onion (chopped)
Method
1. Wash the chicken and drain it. Cut it into approx 1 inch pieces
2. Marinate the chicken by putting it into a bowl and adding ginger garlic paste to it, then mix well and keep aside
3. Wash the spinach and drain it. Chop roughly. Cut the carrot into very thin, long slices. Chop the other two onions finely lengthwise.
4. Take a pan and put 1/2 tbsp of oil on medium heat. Add 1 tsp of rai (mustard seeds) and the curry leaves. Stir for two minutes and keep aside
5. Cut one onion into small pieces. Heat a wok with 1 1/2 tbsp of oil. Add the onion and stir until it is brown.
6. Add the chicken and stir till it is nearly done. This will take around 10-12 minutes on medium heat.
7. Add the coriander powder, curry powder, chilli powder, turmeric, green chilli’s and salt and stir for a minute. Turn the heat on high and add the chopped carrots, spinach, peas and remaining onions. Stir well for five minutes and then reduce the heat to low.
8. Push the vegetables and chicken to the corners of the wok by lining the edges so that it is empty in the centre.
9. Put the beaten eggs in the centre. Leave for 30-40 seconds, then stir the eggs gently. Shred the Malabar paranthas and mix it with the rest of the contents of the wok.
10. Add the fried rai (mustard seeds) and curry leaves and mix well. Add the freshly chopped coriander before eating.
Enjoy!
Apologies for the lack of pictures in today’s post – my sister and I were so caught up trying to cook that we forgot to take any!
The Lockdown Chef 