Joe’s Putu Mayong and Putu Piring food truck, run by the genial, ever-smiling 54-year-old Mr Joe Jaganathan Veloo, and his wife, can be found at the Pulau Tikus Market Tue-Sun in the mornings. One can often find the “putu mayong” (small mounds of moist pandan-scented rice vermicelli) steaming on woven rattan trays, stacked three-tray high.
A separate steamer with lid holds little metal bowls of “putu piring” - tiny rice cupcakes filled with jaggery and, like the “putu mayong”, to be eaten with brown sugar and freshly-grated coconut.
Putu Mayong is similar to Singaporean Putu Mayam and Idiyappam from South India.
Putu Piring is similar to Keralan/Sri Lankan Pottu, but served as a dessert in Penang, with brown sugar and grated coconut.
