Seetha Ram @ Little India, Brickfields

We had visited Seetha Ram before without a camera in hand.. now, we were back and armed!

From the garish Bollywood posters to the flower sellers who are busy stringing jasmine flowers non-stop to meet the demand, you know you have arrived in “Little India”, Brickfields. Every corner you turn there are shoppers haggled over the prices of sarees or Indian spices, and all the while Tamil music blares in the background. We arrive with our two guests from Australia and they marvel at atmosphere that night – the air is charged with energy, and we find a bounce in our step, as we start to bollywood dance towards our dinner venue, Seetha Ram restaurant. Well, who cares? No one is watching anyway, plus we felt right at home, in Little India.

Well known for its delicious food, Little India is where tourists and locals alike head to for cheap Indian cuisine until the wee hours of the morning, especially South Indian meals. However, Northern Indian cuisine is also readily available in some shops. From banana leaf rice, roti, chapati, thosai drenched in savoury curries, dhal and chutneys to tandoori chicken and naan, be ready to pack it all in amidst the loud din of the crowd, and ear piercing indian music from the retail shops.

At Seetha Ram, the vibe is just as colorful as on the street. We find a place to sit and order our food. Our visitors find packet nasi lemak irresistible and very quickly one is opened on a plate. Soon, our table is filled with glasses of mango lassi, tandoori chicken, naan, thosai and nasi lemak and we happily dig into dinner. Call it a fusion of northern -southern Indian and Malaysian cuisine if you like!

Simon and Louise from Denmark, West Australia, enjoying their mango lassi and 30 years of togetherness. Simon had lived in Kuala Lumpur until 1980 before being shipped off to boarding school. He returns after thirty years to view his old home, and to visit some new places in the Peninsular and Borneo to discover the country’s natural beauty and charm.

the irresistable packet nasi lemak

red, red.. (not wine) but tandoori!

stick it in the drum .. and give it a good BBQ!

succulent tandoori chicken – charred on the outside but tender and moist on the inside! bursting with flavour

thosai with a choice of delectable chutney

naan

We spot some pittu being made- these cylinders of string hoppers are made of a mix of steamed rice flour, grated coconut, and salt. Served with salted coconut milk and sugar, the condiments are necessary to give flavor and moisture, and the pittu serves as a canvas to make the flavors come alive. There was also a “live station” for sweet apom, piring or putu mayam(string hoppers) being made but we were too stuffed to take it on.

apom

steamer

Walking along the streets of Little India you will discover places to buy loads of souvenirs to take home with you – bangles, sarongs, indian sarees.. etc. We especially like browsing the spice shops and the grocery shops. Ever heard of parachute oil? It apparently makes your hair grow long, dark and lustrous. A must buy for the ladies. Indian spices can be vacuum packed if if need to take them on the airplane.

“all the way from India.. you take 5? ” says the cool dude with the incredibly sexy accent

beans, spices, herbs.. you name it.. they got it

turmeric

salted/pickled mango – super salty and all the way from India

Brickfields also used to be the site of the main depot for Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) (Malayan Railway) during the administration of the British. The British authorities brought in people from Sri Lanka to work the railway and the depot. Many lived in quarters around Brickfields. Since then the Indian community have lived and remained here and became citizens of Malaysia. Some of the old quarters can still be found around Jalan Rozario. Today the depot has been transformed into KL Sentral. Brickfields is one of the pioneer settlements in Kuala Lumpur. Indeed, the whole stretch of Jalan Tun Sambanthan (formerly Jalan Brickfields) is interspersed with old colonial structures.

Walking further up the road to where our car is parked, you will notice the Maha Vihara temple, Holy Rosary Church, the Indian Orthodox Church, and the St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Cathedral. Brickfields is such a cool place because the religious places of worship have all co-existed in harmony for the longest time. One of the best things about Little India is its historical value, the Indian heritage, the food and culture. We embrace the garish designs, bright lights and cacophony!

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