Casual Dinner At Casuarina Curry

Image · Posted by Sam Han on May 8, 2013 · 5 Comments 

My Paratha Man.

I have been telling KM that I wanted to eat Thosai (Dosa – தோசை) for the longest time but has never got round to it. He asked his buddies for suggestions where he could bring me but they vaguely recommended “a shop across Mustafa’s in Little India”. Last night as we drove along Upper Thomson, he said why don’t we try Casuarina Curry? The shop’s been around for some time now and has got some rave reviews but I wasn’t expecting the kind of treatment I was about to get!

The huge shop of two unit spaces is located in the residential area of Casuarina Road along Upper Thomson close to the Pierce Reservoir in Singapore and hence the name Casuarina Curry.

After finding a seat outside the shop ala al fresco style, a tall friendly waiter brought us two menus offering lots of Indian food items. I cheekily asked him what’s nice for photo-taking not necessarily good to eat and he stared at me for a while trying to comprehend. When he finally understood, he said “You want take pictures? Ah… come, come inside, we go take pictures”. Before I eloped off with the waiter, KM knowing me quickly added, order first before you go… so it’s gonna be Fish Curry Biryani, Mutton Cubes and of course Thosai – Paper Thosai! And oh… two Teh Tarik, please 😀

I followed the elongated waiter into the shop and he spoke to the cooks behind the prata station in Tamil. In a few seconds, rows of white teeth started flashing and they even directed me where to stand before the show begin. The first guy was so fast I haven’t had time to set my camera in the right mode. The pictures were blurry but his smile was cheery 😉

The first performance.

The next cook whistled me over to the other counter and I glided through the slippery floor, took my position and started clicking away. The rest of the waiting staff crowded around me and were eager to see my viewfinder after the show. They were a little disappointed that it wasn’t a video clip. I’m disappointed too. It never occurred to me that I should make one. All the flipping here and there produced blurry images 😦 See Photo Gallery below for this fantastic guy smiling and flipping away the parathas (roti pratas). Perhaps, better luck wth my food… I went out to join KM at the table.

Our food is served. Paper Thosai, Curry Fish and Biryani Rice.

Let’s tuck in.

Paper Thosai is a long and very thin, delicate crepe which can be spread over two feet. Here, my Paper Thosai came with 4 dipping sauces. I also had a cup of Teh Tarik (pulled tea).

Dosa தோசை – is a fermented crepe or pancake made from rice batter and black lentils. It is indigenous to and is a staple dish in the southern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, as well as being popular in Sri Lanka and Singapore. In Singapore, we called it Thosai.

Thosai is a common breakfast dish and street food. They do not contain any sugar or saturated fats. The main ingredients in Thosai are rice and lentils usually in 2:1 or 3:1 proportion. Thosai is gluten-free and is rich in carbohydrates and protein. The fermentation process during the making of the batter also increases the vitamin B and vitamin C contents. It is therefore considered a rather healthy food on its own. Thosai can be stuffed with fillings of vegetables and sauces to make a quick meal. They are typically served with a vegetarian side dish which varies according to regional and personal preferences. Some variations include egg Thosai, which is spread with an omelette, and cheese Thosai, which is stuffed with cheese. I have had Masala Thosai, another variation with curried potato, fried onions and spices filling and they were very yummy! I am speculating that the 4 dipping sauces on my platter tonight were curd, sambar, watery lentil dhal curry and one more that I couldn’t make out but they were all delicious! The Thosai had crispoy outer and every so slightly spongy inside. There is another version of Thosai which is soft and I like to eat that with curry and sugar.

I’m a dunce, hahaha… Momma said don’t play with your food but she’s not here :p

Oh yes my biryani is getting cold!

Mackerel Fish Curry on a bed of Basmati Biryani Rice.

The basmati may not be of the highest grade but the rice if fluffy and sublty perfumed with cinnamon, star anise, cardamons and cloves. The masala fragrance had just the right touch to make this dish tasty and me happy.

The Fish Curry had a thick consistency. The spices were aromatic. I only wished it were more chilli hot. That’s my personal preference as I have said before, I like very spicy stuff.

So the Fish Curry did not sting my tongue and in quest for hotter food, Kim ordered Mutton Curry.

The mutton was very tender. I did not have to struggle when chewing and swallowing the meat.

Mutton Curry on a bed of Biryani.

A satisfying meal and entertainment 😉

All for S$13.90

Photo Gallery for Paratha Flipping:

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The tall friendly waiter who brought me to the paratha station for my photoshoot and video making the second time round.

After dinner and still not satisfied with the phototaking session, (also after) I finally figured out how to operate the video function on my camera, I scooted off to make the first video on YouTube for Bonding Tool 😉

Casuarina Curry at Off Upper Thomson Road.

Casuarina Curry
136 Casuarina Road,
Off Upper Thomson Road,
Singapore 579524.
Tel: +65 64559093.

Dinner was cheap but my date is not! Isn’t he sweet to bring me a stalk of white rose?

Happy dining 🙂

Filed under Bakery & Pattiserie, Beverages, Chicken, Eggs, Restaurants & Food Reviews, Seafood, Uncategorized · Tagged with biryani, Breakfast, Brunch, Casuarina Curry, Dinner, Dosa, Fish, Fish Curry, Lamb, Lunch, Meat, Mutton Curry, Side Dishes, Singapore, Street Food Cuisine, Teh Tarik, Thosai, Upper Thomson, Vegetables, Videos