Chicken Kottu with Handmade Godamba Roti

Method

1. Mix the flour and dough salt in a bowl and add the lukewarm water a little at a time until it comes together. Knead on the worktop for 8 min until soft as an earlobe and smooth, then divide into 4 balls. Coat them generously with half the dough oil, put them in a bowl, cover and rest at room temperature for 2 h. Long resting is what lets the dough stretch paper-thin without tearing.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 200 gSalt (for the dough) ½ tspLukewarm water (for the dough) 120 mlVegetable oil (to coat the dough and cook the roti) 1½ tbsp

2. Toast the coriander, cumin and fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 3 min, stirring, until deep brown. Sri Lankan curry powder is roasted darker than most, but black means bitter. Cool, grind finely and mix with the chilli powder and turmeric.

   Add in this stepCoriander seeds 1½ tspCumin seeds ¾ tspFennel seeds ½ tspCinnamon stick (5 cm) ½Green cardamom pods 3Cloves 2Chilli powder 1 tspGround turmeric ¼ tsp

   medium-low heat

3. Heat the coconut oil in a 20 cm pot over medium heat and fry part of the onion, half the garlic, the ginger and half the curry leaves for 2 minutes. Add the chicken, cut into 2 cm pieces, the curry powder from step 2 and part of the salt and cook for 6 min, so the spices coat the chicken.

   Add in this stepCoconut oil 1½ tbspOnion (medium) ¼Garlic cloves 2Fresh ginger 12 gCurry leaves 6Boneless chicken thighs 240 gSalt 0.4 tsp

   medium heat

4. Add the chopped tomato, coconut milk and water and simmer over low heat for 20 min. When the chicken is tender and the gravy has thickened, lift out the chicken, shred or chop it small, and keep the gravy aside.

   Add in this stepTomato ½Coconut milk 150 mlWater (for the curry) 120 ml

   low heat

5. On an oiled worktop, flatten a dough ball with your palm, then lift and gently pull the edges to stretch it very thin, about 30 cm across; small holes are fine. Fold the four sides in to make a square and cook one at a time in a 26 cm pan lightly brushed with the rest of the dough oil over medium heat, for 1 min 30 sec on each side, until golden. Cool and cut into 1 cm strips.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (to coat the dough and cook the roti) 1½ tbsp

   medium heat

6. Heat the stir-fry oil in a 30 cm wok over high heat and stir-fry the rest of the onion and garlic, the chillies and the rest of the curry leaves for 2 min, then add the leek, carrot, cabbage, the rest of the salt and the pepper and toss over the high heat for 3 min, keeping them crunchy.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (for stir-frying) 2½ tbspOnion (medium) ¾Garlic cloves 2Hot green chillies 2Curry leaves 6Leek (mostly the white part) 80 gCarrot 80 gCabbage 100 gSalt 0.6 tspGround black pepper ½ tsp

   high heat

7. Push the vegetables aside, crack in the eggs and scramble over medium-high heat for 1 min until half-set. Add the roti strips and chicken and, ladling in the curry gravy, chop and toss with two metal spatulas for 5 min. It is ready when the roti has soaked up the gravy and is lightly charred at the edges.

   Add in this stepEggs 2

   medium-high heat

8. Pile onto plates, scatter with spring onions and serve with lime wedges and the rest of the curry gravy.

   Add in this stepSpring onions 2Lime ½