Kottu gets star class treatment
We are greeted by the aroma of spices, fried onions, leeks, carrots and eggs. In goes the finely chopped rotti and the ‘special’ gravy, which the chefs describe as their “secret sauce”. This is followed by the familiar clanging noise that you’ve probably heard at any roadside ‘kade’, when all the ingredients are mixed and Kottu is made. Pair this with a star class restaurant experience and you have a perfect evening.
For the first time, the Curry Leaf Garden restaurant at the Hilton Colombo is hosting a ‘Kottu Fest’, which introduces a range of kottu styles to the restaurant’s evening buffet of local favourites. The festival is on from March 7 - 17, from 7 p.m. to midnight.
The Kottu Fest, as the organisers explain is an initiative taken by the restaurant, which wanted to give life to innovative ideas, based around kottu. Sous Chef Saba who specializes in Jaffna food, tells us his favourite is the ‘Tandoori chicken kottu’. The team had taken an Indian dish and added a taste of Sri Lanka to make it into something unique.
The hotel makes most of their spices in-house and so their ‘Batticaloa Mutton Kottu’ which features a special kind of spice provides indeed the authentic tastes of Batticaloa cuisine.
There’s everybody’s favourite ‘Cheese Kottu’ and the clear winner that night - the ‘Jumbo Prawn Kottu’. It may not be particularly spicy but the taste of freshly cooked prawns sang through the entire dish, whilst also adding a crunchy texture to it.
‘Kurakkan Kottu’ a creation by Chef Amila is a healthier option using only egg whites and less oil. “It’s the perfect meal for a diabetic patient or anyone looking to stay healthy,” he says.
Aside from the Kottu that we tried, the festival also includes a ‘Rendang Chicken Kottu’,‘Nai Miris Kottu’, ‘Mixed Seafood Kottu’, ‘Karapincha and Vegetable Kottu’ and the ‘Green Curry Chicken Kottu.’