Kothu Parotta
Kothu parotta or kothu roti – a home style version that is delicious, healthier and easier to make. If North India has its buttery and hearty parathas, then the South has it crunchy and flaky parotta. Much like a plate of hot pakodas or masala vadas, this dish is perfect for those wet, rainy days or the cold winter evenings, when you want to eat something warm and spicy. Want to serve your hungry kids with some impressive and tasty street food that comes together quickly?
Treat them to my kothu roti recipe. I’d wouldn’t call it the ultra-meal brimming with nutrients, but it’s as healthy as a homemade fast food can be.
About Kothu Parotta
Kothu parotta is a popular Tamil Nadu street food where flaky shredded flatbreads are cooked in a spicy curry masala.
The name is derived from the Tamil word Kothu which translates to shred. Parotta are flaky white flour flatbreads. So kothu parotta translates to shredded flatbreads that are cooked with salna or kurma and spiced up with savory spices to create a delectable fast-food dish.
What is salna? This is a flavorful gravy made with spices, vegetables or meat.
The soft, yet crisp and flaky maida parotta is cut by hand or with a knife into small pieces and is repeatedly pounded on a hot iron griddle. An egg or meat gravy is added to the parotta and minced together with the help of two iron spatulas.
The dish is usually served with onion raita, but you can enjoy it plain.
Although the dish has origins in Sri Lanka, this dish has become a favorite across the pond. It also has fans in Singapore, Malaysia, and Maldives.
This street food is popular in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Madurai in Tamil Nadu is famous for its special style of kothu. Even fast-food joints have now joined the Kothu parotta bandwagon.
As with any Indian street food, you’ll find numerous variations. You have egg, vegetable, chicken, mutton, and even a paneer or prawn style kothu parotta.
The use of ingredients varies with each food stall or eatery. And no two kothu parottas will taste the same, unless you make it at home. I have also shared a recipe for Chilli Parotta which is similar to this kothu parotta but with a Indo-Chinese touch.
About This Recipe
I’ve made a simple and quick meal without vegetables, meat and eggs. You can modify this vegetarian recipe to suit your taste or make it more filling by following my recipe notes. This is a plain version of the iconic street food and is served with onion raita.
My version is simple but bursting with flavors, healthier and easier to make. I have used homemade rotis (but rotimatic made). Feel free to use store bought parotta, whole wheat parathas or even wholemeal rotis to save time.
Making this recipe hardly takes time when you have premade, leftover or store bought parotta/ rotis. In fact, this dish is a good way to use leftover vegetable or meat gravy as well. Sometimes I also add Kadala curry while making kothu parotta.
Can you skip salna?
Of course, you can skip like the way I did it! Just spice up the masala a bit with chili powder and garam masala, the same way I did.
If you are using leftover curry, reduce the liquid by heating it up on a stovetop or in the microwave. The curry has to be slightly thicker and not too runny.