Srilankan Kutto was a new discovery for me in NYC a few weeks ago at Kottuhouse.
A street food composed of shredded flatbread, curry, vegetables and eggs. Tastes strangely like South Asian flavored stir-fried wide noodles. The dish showed me that shredded bread can a be wonderful new technique. The dish would be a perfect way to use up leftover curries or stretch a curry. It is infinitely adjustable too. Leave the meat out, add more veggies, cut the spice, add spice, make is soft, make it dry etc. My hungryphil jr. daughter, Atiya, suggested adding a fried egg on top (instead of mixed in). This way the runny yolk could dress and soften the bread too. It would be a perfect brunch bowl. The dish recomposes a traditional hand scooped plate of curry and bread to become a spoon and bowl friendly dry dish.  Same flavors, altered form. I’m excited about using the technique for any leftover curry or chili, or stew. Here is the standard I was working from.

 

http://www.srilankanrecipes.info/recipes/RiceDishes/KoththuRoti.aspx

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017015-chicken-kottu-roti

Here is what I did:

1. Made a quick chicken curry (diced chicken thighs, diced tomatoes, paprika, ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander, onion, garam masala and vinegar) or you could just use your favorite curry powder.
2. Shredded three store bought parathas (flat bread from the frozen section of an Indian grocery store) into small 1/4 in pieces. Any unleavened flat bread should work.
3. Saute sliced onions and green chilies in a wok.
4. Added a cup of shredded cabbage and carrots from a bag. Coleslaw bag.
5. Added two eggs.
6. Added shredded bread.
7. Added enough curry to moisten the bread. You can always serve more curry on top.

It didn’t taste as moist as Kuttohouse but was still very much like a stir-fried flavorful spicy noodle dish.

Try ripping up your flatbread and tossing it with something in a hot wok! It gives “bread bowls” a whole new meaning.

Wishing you happy taste experiments,

hungryphil