Deepavali, also known as the festival of lights or Diwali, is right around the corner! Many of us would love to drive through Little India during this time of the year, as the streets and roads display bright and colorful lights all over. Usually, we would then stopover for some treats and have Indian cuisine for dinner as we take in the buzzing atmosphere down at Little India.
With the ongoing pandemic, many of us perhaps miss being amongst this festive atmosphere. Fret not, we can always liven up this festive period in many different ways! One of which is through a feast! Good food makes everything better right? We have curated some of the best Indian cuisines available for delivery on WhyQ!
- The Vadai Shop
(Amoy Street Food Centre, #02–84)
If you love pasar malams (night markets), you’d probably have come across The Vadai Shop. However, since COVID happened, all pasar malams have been suspended. Instead of stopping all operations, The Vadai Shop decided to open physical stores of their own. Today, they have managed to open 3 outlets, offering the freshest and crispiest Vadai.
Slightly different from other vadais available around the world, The Vadai Shop’s Prawn Vadai (3pcs for $4.60) is one that you must try. It is warm and fluffy on the inside and has a crispy crust on the outside. The prawns used are huge and fleshy and despite vadai being deep-fried, as you take a bite, the prawn is surprisingly still juicy and fresh. All vadai will come with a packet of little green chilli padis, take a bite as you enjoy your vadai for a kick of spice!
Personally, I love the vadai here as they are not as oily and salty compared to many others. The generosity of the prawn makes every bite even more satisfying and flavourful. They also offer mini vadai ($6.10) for you peeps who enjoy eating on the go or those who have a smaller appetite. Get yours fixed here!
2. Rajarani Thosai
(Tampines Round Market & Food Centre, #01–33)
Thosai originated from South India and is basically a thin pancake or crepe to some. It is usually made from a batter of lentils and rice and left overnight before cooking. It is often served with chutneys, sambar, and many other curries of your choice.
Here at Rajarani Thosai, everything is made by hand and in batches to ensure crispiness. Returning customers would recommend the Masala Thosai ($5.50), which is filled with soft and spicy potatoes and is nicely crisp around the edges. It is best enjoyed with the accompanying sauces and curries. They often serve it with coconut chutney, dhal and chili, and onion chutney.
If you are new to Thosai, these dips compliment the dish in many different ways. Dhal curry is a very mild and nutritious dip made up mainly of lentils, tomatoes, and chilies. The coconut chutney is non-spicy and gives off the coconut-y taste with every bite. The onion and chili chutney is slightly spicy than the rest, but it goes really well with the other 2 dips. And, that is all we have “tho-sai”, get your Thosai fixed here!
3. Heaven’s
(Ghim Moh Market & Food Centre, #01–26)
Finally, we have Heaven’s which opened since 1996, by Mdm Letchmi who till today is still feeding many of her fresh appams and thosai. It is made fresh when you place your order and arrives warm and comforting.
Appam is a type of pancake, originating from South India, made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk. Here at Heaven’s, they are famous for their special menu, Princess Appam ($5.50), which promises to offer you royalty on a plate. It has melted cheese, butter, and a fried egg to top it off. The texture of their appams promises fluffiness yet crispy edges and you have to eat it with the orange sugar and shredded coconut. It will be an explosion of flavors in your mouth and you start tasting a mix of tangy, savory and sweet flavors!
Nothing is more dramatic and satisfying than an appam that sits like a UFO, with its crispy edges tempting you to instantly take a bite out of it. The only way to light Ap(pam) your holiday this Deepavali is with a warm plate of Appam! Order here now.
Phew! It’s definitely gotten even hotter having to write out these delicious dishes packed with spices. Nevertheless, as we approach Deepavali, there are many other dishes you may wish to explore here on WhyQ. Let’s not let Covid deter us from lighting up this festival! Let us know what you are most looking forward to this coming Deepavali in the comments section!
