Hot stuff

May ‘n’ Mike’s offers authentic Malayalee fare that would please the fussiest traditionalist.
FOR the past seven years, May ‘n’ Mike’s, a place which offers authentic Malayalee food, has been a well-kept secret in Petaling Gardens.

Astute businesswoman: May Miranda discovered her passion for the food business while helping out her late husband at their restaurant.

According to May Miranda, 46, the owner, this is where even the fussiest Malayalee traditionalist will enjoy house specialties such as fish puttu, prawn toran, aviyal and moru wintermelon curry.

What is the mark of good Malayalee fare, the South Indian way of cooking characterised by its spicy and rich coconut hints?

May, who has 15 years of experience in the food business, said, “Satisfaction is in seeing finger marks on a diner’s plate. It is also a bonus to see customers licking their fingers!”

Now this is no idle boast by May. This writer would find herself doing the same when she had lunch there recently.

To be fair, at first glance, May ‘n’ Mike’s appears to be like any other Indian restaurant offering classics like mutton and chicken varuvel and vegetable cutlets on their daily menu.

But upon discovering such gems as fish puttu, well, the perception quickly changes.
Fish puttu is a very traditional dish made with either shark meat or tenggiri. The fish is steamed before it is broken into pieces, and afterwards cooked in coconut milk and a blend of spices like turmeric and cumin seeds.

Heavenly: Payasam, a thick gruel of fried green beans with almonds and raisins.

It is a wonderful accompaniment to white rice or if you’re feeling adventurous, taken with bread.
Fish puttu is also popular among Indian breastfeeding mothers because of its high protein content.
Another Malayalee seafood classic is the prawn toran, boiled prawn stir-fried with grated coconut and chilli powder.

Delicious: Fish puttu (left) and prawn toran.

May uses her mother-in-law’s recipe for this dish.

Prawn toran is not only a treat as a side dish for rice but an apt appetiser for beer drinking sessions. The effect of the grated coconut, chilli and cumin infused in the prawn serves to tantalise the palate into imbibing more with each mouthful.

In short, it is very hard to stop once you’ve started on the prawn toran.

Of course, when one has the luxury of variety, it would be a pity to stick to just one dish where Malayalee cooking is concerned.

Appetising: The chamandi poodi adds another dimension to a meal.

The idea is to create magic with small heaps of everything!

Have the fish puttu and prawn toran with the classic Malayalee vegetable accompaniment in the aviyal, which is a mix of shredded carrots, brinjal, long beans, raw bananas, potatoes coated in a yoghurt and coconut blend.

For those who prefer a richer option, there is the moru wintermelon curry, which comes with a thick yoghurt gravy.

May reminds this writer not miss out on the chamandi poodi, a condiment of ground ikan bilis which has been dry fried with (you’ve guessed it ...) more grated coconut and chilli powder.

There is also the ingi puli, a ginger pickle made in house which has tamarind juice and vinegar among its ingredients.

This is a house favourite and May even bottles it for sale.

As for the result of the above combination? Safe to say that the satisfaction of a tongue-tingling Indian meal will spur the inebriated soul to greater heights!

Of course, there is always a formidable personality behind every good Indian restaurant and this is where introductions must refer to mother-of-three May Miranda.

This lovely woman who has a smile to match, reveals that initially the restaurant business was her late husband’s passion.

“As his wife, I was supposed to sit behind the cashier counter and let him run the show but one day the cook didn’t turn up and I had to take over,” laughs May, who recalls that she was also heavily pregnant with one of her three daughters then.

As for her first taste of waitressing, this ladyboss, who now has a catering unit in addition to the restaurant, would simply sum it up as a lesson in humility.

“At first, I felt queasy about touching people’s plates thinking about the saliva they left behind but after a while
I got the hang of it and discovered I had a passion for the food business,” said May.

Over time, May would learn the ropes well enough to handle the male staff to the extent that customers have told her that service was perfect even in her absence.

“I believe that once you train your staff well, there is no need to run after them all the time.

“And there is one thing I believe in: Never humiliate your staff in front of others. If you have something to say, do so in a private meeting and explain the reasons to them,” she added.

All said and done, this woman is as sweet as her payasam, which to this writer, is just the most awesome dessert on earth!

This thick gruel of fried green beans with chopped almonds and plump raisins is just the thing to round off a meal. According to May, the ginger in the payasam is also a great way to get rid of wind after a heavy meal.

Where to find the space on a full tummy, you ask? Ah, just do the Malaysian thing. “Ta pau” and enjoy it at home!

May ‘n’ Mike’s is located at 357C, Jalan 5/57, Petaling Gardens, 46000 Petaling Jaya. For catering call 03-77701050.