Who Would Say "no" For A Kottu..........

Kottu roti originated in Batticaloa, in the Eastern part of Sri Lanka during the early 1970s by the local Muslim and Tamil people. Etymologically the name is from the Tamil language meaning "chopped roti" (chopped wheat roti mixed with curry sauce).

The basic roti is made of Gothamba flour. The name itself is Tamil: Gothamba (a form of Kathamba-meaning a flour made out of a variety of grains-referring to the white flour, and roti). Slowly it has spread to other parts of the country as the strife continued and has now caught up and has become extremely popular. It can be found in many Sri Lankan restaurants in other countries, where there is a large Sri Lankan population.

Kothu is a food that has successfully transcended social boundaries in Sri Lanka. Kothu, which used to be a cheap, takeaway meal for lower socioeconomic classes, has now become almost a staple diet for those of upper socioeconomic classes as well, especially among the young and outgoing. It is now a common practice for nightclub and party goers in Sri Lanka to end their nights with a kothu as a midnight snack.

As restaurateurs explore with ideas, a variety of kothu variations have become available. The main ones are where the roti is substituted for pittu or string hoppers, hence the pittu kothu and string hopper kottu.