Indian Dinner @ Chutneys, NU Empire, Subang Jaya

 

Everyone has their own little favourite Indian spot where they go to for some spicy comfort food. And one of my favourites is not in Brickfields. Which is incredible, considering that Little India is sometimes seem as the hotbed for great South Asian food. So during a previous trip home I got reacquainted to Chutneys back in the city I grew up in, Subang Jaya. And I brought backup in the form of my good friend Brendan. 

Here we are!

Originally a small corner selling fried Indian street food ended up being a prominent restaurant serving the best that Indian cuisine had to offer. I remember coming here years ago for their steamed peanuts. Those were really good. From modest beginnings to something special, it is honestly pretty inspiring. Especially with the offerings that they have, it is no small feat. 

Crunchy!

We starting off without pulling any punches with a serving of pakkora. Deep fried and crispy, these golden nuggets were absolutely delicious. Being made out of chickpeas provide it with that meaty aroma which makes it pretty addictive. I could seriously have this on its own with a beer. Seasoned with chillies, curry leaves and various herbs and spices provided it with this herbal punch that is hard to describe. Standing at a mere RM 10 makes it a great steal. 

Golden and incredible. 

Explosive

The good times roll as the next plate was a vadai set which stood at RM 16. This was also very good. So good in fact, I could have this plate to myself and call it a real meal. The vadai cakes are fried to perfection. Despite its golden exterior, the insides were soft and fluffy, with a slight acidic tang to it. The sauces and dips that the golden treats were accompanied by were also pretty amazing too. The white and golden coconut chutneys were creamy, spicy and cooling all at the same time. The balance of the contrasting elements were done very well. 

For a palate cleanser, we got some pani puri. This is definitely something uncommon for most people unless you are familiar with Indian food. Essentially, they are small puff casings stuffed with vegetables and then taken with a shot of tamarind juice. At RM 14, this was also very affordable. The tamrind juice was sweet, sour, and a little salty, with the puff casing containing all the flavourful components before they explode, literally in your mouth. if you like your eating experience to be fun, this is a go to solution. 

Deceptive

Needing something more substantial, we got ourself another platter of idli rice cakes. Soft and pillowy, but still quite sturdy, these rice cakes are starting to fill us up. The texture allowed for maximum sauce absorption, making it a great carrier for the chutneys and dhal curry that it was brought along with. At this rate, Brendan and I were getting a bit full but somehow being 2 blokes we ordered more despite reaching our limit. 

Extra crunch!

Papdi chat came soon after, bringing us back to the territory of crispy treats. Imagine potato chips smashed on a platter on top of a spicy yogurt dressing. Yes, it is as good as it sounds but with even more substance as the bottom sits various vegetables and a bean curry mix. It was also pretty heavy despite looking like a game day snack. This was probably the most expensive thing we got as it was for RM22. But who is counting? 

Finale

And to cap things off we finally got a ghee fried podi dosa. At RM 16.50, this was another item that could be a standalone meal if not for great company. Being fried in ghee made it very crispy with a buttery taste and destroying all nutritional qualities of an average dosa. The inside was also lined with chilli powder and various spices, making pretty spicy. Which does not look obvious as it was hidden by that golden crust that was cheekily hiding that demonic heat. Still, a great dish. 

Another view of the inside

After some great laughs and force feeding, we came out fully satisfied. We found out in the end to our surprise our meal was entirely vegetarian! Of course you can get meat dishes here, but with vegetarian food this good, I do not mind being meat free once in a while. Thanks again buddy for tagging along. So if you would like to give this place a go, the address is as follows:

 LG level, Empire Subang Empire Shopping Gallery, Jalan SS 16/1, Ss 16, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Thanks buddy. Till next time.