Two-decade-old Woodlands Vegetarian Restaurant in Penangโs atmospheric Little India bore a name which was inspired by Chennaiโs famous New Woodlands Hotel which specializes in Udupi-style vegetarian cooking.
Our breakfast spread today was a selection of South Indian, specifically Tamilian breakfast staples, all served with coconut ๐ค๐ฉ๐ถ๐ต๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ, ๐ฌ๐ข๐ณ๐ข-๐ค๐ฉ๐ถ๐ต๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ and ๐ด๐ข๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ.
๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐ญ - utterly addictive spiced, mashed rice. Itโs gingery, savory, intoxicatingly flavorsome. The accompanying coconut chutneys and sambhar merely provide delectable variances in the flavors of this innocuous-looking, polenta-like mound of deliciousness.
๐๐ข๐ท๐ข ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ข๐ช - this insanely delicious crepe looked like something Jackson Pollock would create if given access to a hot griddle painted with ghee, and a palate of semolina batter, cumin seeds, fresh ginger shreds, coriander leaves and green chillis.
Utterly scrumptious on its own, but elevated to ethereal levels when anointed with the creamy chutneys and lightly-spiced sambhar are added.
๐๐ข๐ด๐ข๐ญ๐ข ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ด๐ข๐ช - a crisp, glossy crepe made from a ground rice-and-lentil batter, rolled into a tube with a delicately-spiced potato-and-onion filling in the middle. So delicate, it shatters at the merest touch and melts in oneโs mouth.
๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ข - my personal favorite South Indian breakfast option, almost similar in texture and spicing to the pongal, but made from roasted semolina instead of mashed rice. I can have this every day for breakfast, and nothing else, for the rest of my life.
Address
Woodlands Vegetarian Restaurant
60, Penang Street, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +604-263 9764
Opening hours: 8.30am to 9.30pm. Breakfast items are offered only up till 11am.
Looks fantastic! What a delish way to start your day!
1 Like
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
3
Well, this is a timely thread. We going out for dinner this evening to a favourite Indian place. They serve masala dosa as a starter and I was toying with the idea of having it. Your photo convinces me that I should, Look lovely and much, much, bigger than on offer here
In Malaysia and Singapore, thosai (which is the Tamil pronunciation for dosa, since two-thirds of ethnic Indians here are Tamils) is a breakfast food, and is traditionally made quite substantially sized โto start the day withโ.
I like the idea of having one as a starter to a meal at dinner, but I donโt think weโd ever find that in this part of the world!
As for the size of a dosa, I can never forget the 5-foot-long one we had in Aurangabad, India, a couple of years back.
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
5
I remember your photo of the 5 foot one. Fabulous.
Indian restaurants here never seem to be agreed where dosa sits on the menu. Some, like last night, have it as a starter. Others call it a main course. Some just put it in a โspecialsโ listing.
Yes, traditionally but my Tamil friends always have a big tub of Dosa batter fermenting on their kitchen counter and will make us some any time of the day! Same goes for South Indian restaurants Iโve been to in the UK and India.
Itโs become like Chinese dim sum, traditionally only served for breakfast, but which has evolved to be available for lunch and, horrors, dinner-time!
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot, cooking and eating in northwest England)
10
The majority partner in the restaurant I mention has family heritage from Sindh province - now in Pakistan. The family had to flee at partition, with many Sindhs ending up in Mumbai. He has a Sindhi breakfast dish also on the menu a a starter. Itโs an earthy daal but one sharpened quite well by the use of amchoor and tamarind. They serve it with crispy pakwan. Certainly works as a starter and I can why itโs breakfast
