Heaven's Indian Curry

Heaven's Indian Curry - #01-15 Ghim Moh Market

Whenever I've a craving for Thosai, Heaven's Indian Curry is my first port of call. The flatbreads are cooked to the perfect blend of crispness and chewiness while the batter is light yet flavourful. Prices are reasonable to say the least and the selection of fillings can be dizzying. The invariably long queue is kept at bay as orders are handled at a blistering pace and the food is well worth the wait in any case.

The Plain Thosai (2 for $1.80) keeps things simple, making it a good litmus test for the basics. A spotlight is immediately thrown onto how the crepes are artfully only cooked on one side; direct heat causing a delicate crisping on one surface. On the other, a dissipation of indirect heat creates a moist, almost cake-like softness that is airy and light due to honeycombing with miniscule holes as a result of the bubbly fermented rice-flour batter. The subtly sourish crepes are nothing short of excellent with any of the three dips: a robust, sweet-spicy red chutney; a mild, creamy coconut sauce and a thick, hearty vegetable sambar.

For something more filling, opt for the Masala Thosai (1 for $2) which is composed of the aforementioned crepe with a satisfying filling of potatoes and carrots flavoured generously with turmeric, curry leaves, garlic and onions. A South-Asian take on the calzone if you will.

The Plain Appam ($1.80 for 2) is thosai in its dessert incarnation. A wafer-thin, super crisp halo surrounds a soft, chewy and slightly sticky central mound riddled with the same airy honeycombing as before. This UFO-like construct is eaten with a distinctly-flavoured red palm sugar and desiccated coconut which renders richness and textural variety for a result that is simultaneously sweet, sourish, salty, crisp, soft and chewy. In other words, it is mind-blowingly good.