Friday, March 09, 2007

Chapati @ Tiger Jit Singh, Jalan San Peng, Kuala Lumpur



The last time I ventured to Jalan San Peng to sample their
prawn noodles laden with those wicked fried lard cubes, Babe in the City - KL recommended the chapati stall just a few doors away. Unable to resist, I recently made a second trip down to Jalan San Peng to sample the chapati.



This time round, it was a much easier affair to search for the place which is oddly named Tiger Jit Singh Chapati. No sign of any tigers nor Indian men helming the stall but instead it was run by a group of Indonesian women. I reckon they were under the watchful eye of an old Indian woman who sat at one of the tables but it was a bit hard to tell since she looked more like a friendly grandmother rather than the boss of the stall.



Heeding Babe_kl's advice, I asked for a fresh chapati but the Indonesian woman refused to make me one citing the stack of chapatis to be fresh as it just came from the stove. Not wanting to create a fuss especially since I was treading on unfamiliar territory (I read somewhere that San Peng used to be a notorious area in the 70s), I just reached for one of the chapatis and ladled the dhall.



The chapati (RM1) was pretty good, light yet fluffy but I felt the surface of it had too much flour. The dhall which came with potatoes and whole chick peas (Kacang Kuda in Malay) was not too bad and semi-thick versus the watery brown liquid you get at most mamak stalls.

On the way out, I managed to catch the Indonesian woman making a fresh batch of chapatis. Made from atta flour and water, the dough is kneaded till it is elastic and left to rest. Once ready, you take a small amount of the dough and roll it with the rolling pin till it's flattened. Atta flour is used on the pin and the lady will dip the dough in the flour to prevent it from sticking. Judging from the liberal amount she was using, that's probably why the cooked chapati had such a floury texture. The chapati will then be quickly placed on the hot plate. It will slowly puff up when cooked and the Indonesian lady will use a makeshift pouch from muslin cloth filled with flour to flatten it down. Once cooked and speckled with brown dots, it's ready to be taken off the hot plate. Although the Indonesians seem to have got the method down pat, I still have a niggling thought at the back of my head that it would have tasted better if Tiger Jit Singh was making it.



Besides chapatis and dhalls, they also have a pretty good array of curries. This caught my eye as it was an unusual dish - deep fried baby bittergourds stuffed with spicy sambal. Definitely something I wouldn't mind returning back to this stall to sample during lunch time.

Tiger Jit Singh Chapati
Jalan San Peng
Kuala Lumpur

(Halal. Closed on Sundays. Just further down from the San Peng Prawn Noodles and off Jalan Loke Yew.)

*Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here is entirely based on my personal tastebuds and may vary for others. The reviewer also declares that she has not received any monetary or non-monetary compensation from the restaurant/stall for writing this review.

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14 comments:

Lyrical Lemongrass said...

I've noticed it everytime I visit the lard...err...prawn noodles place. But the draw of the noodles place is too great for me to resist, so I'll just be contented with looking at your yummy pics of the stuffed bittergourd.

Precious Pea said...

I don't quite fancy chapati due to the flourish taste, but the bittergourd looks delicious. Why didn't you tarbau one as snack?

Babe_KL said...

eh, the old punjabi uncle not around ka? if he's around then it's easier to get fresh chapatis. otherwise, we'll lookout when they cook the fresh batch and order second helpings haha

Tummythoz said...

I'm still unfamiliar with the food there, esp in d daytime. Only been visiting d beef noodles stall at nights. Hope to make time tommorrow (Sat) to explore a bit. *printing out posts on lard/prawn mee & chapati*

sc said...

my fave chapati is served in a small, hot, stuffy shop at lorong gombak. wonder if this tastes better? but like lemongrass, the draw of sanpeng prawn noodles may be too strong for me to resist when i'm at that area.kekeke

Flower said...

I like my chapati hot, eaten with some curry made from kacang hijau/mungbean. Really yummy.

Melting Wok said...

Boo, you're right bout the baby bitter gourds, don't like them, but this I'd certainly be tempted to, thx for sharing :)

backStreetGluttons said...

Tuning in to yr vivid description v r sure the tiger was watching you !
The place definitely deserves a return visit but make sure da tiger makes the chapatis exactly u want, notorious San Peng notwithstanding !

wmw said...

Mmm..me too, I guess if I make a trip all the way to San Peng, I'll probably stick to the lardy prawn noodles. Hee hee...Oh yeah, heard there is this good beef noodle nearby? Where about?

boo_licious said...

lemongrass - I guess those lardy noodles are too strong a temptation.

precious pea - once in a while eat chapati (healthier than roti canai). Didn't pack the bittergourd back since I have lunch plans already.

babe_kl - no uncle, only a trio of pretty agressive Indonesian women.

tummythoz - beef noodles at nite? Is this at the same place?

sc - I'll give a try at the Lorong Gombak place one day and compare the two. Literally a hole in the wall place rite?

flower - sounds yum esp with mungbeans.

melting wok - baby ones are good for juices though. Supremely healthy stuff.

team bsg - sadly no tiger there. Instead it felt more like Chow Kit with the Indonesian women.

wmw - sinful lardy noodles are definitely pulling all of you there. Yeah, where are these beef noodles?

mh said...

if i remember correctly, they also sell fresh made yogurt (e.g. mango yogurt), fresh but a bit too sweet.

boo_licious said...

tekko - wow, that sounds yummy too. Thxs for the tip.

Tummythoz said...

Beef noodles not on this side. Behind those flats off Jalan Pudu. Hope to do a post soon

boo_licious said...

tummythoz - ok, no idea where still. Only beef noodles I ate around here was near Jalan Brunei.

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