I fell in love with Bald Eagle the day he brought me cherry tomatoes.
We were in university then, and were subject to the revolting food served in our halls. I expressed a craving for cherry tomatoes. Unbeknownst to me, he hopped onto a bus and went to the Mall to buy me tomatoes. I had no idea that he had even paid attention to what I was saying, so when he turned up at my door with cherry tomatoes, my eyes were brimming with tears.
His thoughtfulness has carried on through the years. Flowers for no particular reason. Dinner at my favourite restaurant when I least expect it. Breakfast in bed. Coffee in the morning. A cute momiji toy. A book that I’ve raved about. An unexpected text.
As skewed as his thoughts may be sometimes, I suppose everyone should subscribe to Fatboybakes‘ credo, i.e. do not do during courtship what you dont intend to do the rest of your married life, because the last thing one should do is feel that giving ought to be an obligation. It shouldn’t. And I would never expect flowers just because it is Valentine’s Day, and I would never expect diamonds, just because they tell you that it is the only way he can say “I love you” effectively.
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Maharaj is the place to go to if:-
1. You’re tired of thosai and idly.
2. You want to dine like a King (they have a couple of huge ornate chairs fit for royalty).
3. You think orange goes fabulously with purple. (it does!)
4. You’ve promised your girlfriend the Taj Mahal but your bank account shows only RM125.26 (including interest).
5. You want to rock your world with a new vocabulary with words like cuchumber.
Cuchumber is, indeed, a word, and it isn’t miss-spelt. Pronounced koo-choom-ber, it is a type of salad made with finely julienned vegetables. The salad is then tossed with lime juice or vinegar and coriander to give it a rather zesty flavour.
If it weren’t for an invitation by Marian Eu (on behalf of the owner, Ilan Govan) to dine at Maharaj, my life would have been incomplete and my linguistic tongue twisters would have been limited to thosai, vadai and apam.
The cuisine at Maharaj is as wide as the motherland. From Goan to Hyderabadi and Ilan Govani (i.e. owner’s variation of classic dishes), you will be spat upon if you requested for something as common as idly (you know…those round white steamed discs). Okay, so spitting’s not allowed. The servers at Maharaj are as gentle as the afternoon breeze on a hot humid rain-less day in Kuala Lumpur. But if you choose to dine at Maharaj, I appeal to you, be adventurous. Try the cuchumber.
Cuchumber – julienned raw vegetables. A nice appetiser, but can also be eaten with breads and grills.
It Doesn’t Matter if You’re Black or White
Vegetable Kebab – the texture was soft and mushy thanks to the potato, cauliflower and cottage cheese (paneer) filling, with a slightly minty flavour.
Coriander Salad – looked suspiciously like cuchumber, but with a mayonnaise and yoghurt dressing that helped counter the hot chilli effect from the subsequent dishes.
Mixed Grill – Minced Lamb, Fish Hariyali, Chicken Kebab, Chicken Tikka, Prawn Kebab. The minced lamb was heavily spiced, masking the gamey flavour of the lamb. The fish hariyali, deriving its colour from green chillies, was less spicy, while the chicken kebab was very tender and far from dry.
Tiger Prawn Tawa Masala. Tawa simply means hotplate. The prawns were slathered with masala spices then cooked on a hotplate, leaving a crust of spices that tasted very much like our Malaysian otak-otak. Very tasty, and probably the most expensive item that night.
According to the proprietor, Ilan Govan, the concept of the restaurant represents a journey of art, culture and cuisine of India. As such, the “rooms” are decorated differently; one painted with haveli windows of Rajastani abodes, another with a mural of the Taj Mahal, and one with paintings of courtyard dancers. Various decorative items are available for sale as well.
Various types of naans – plain, garlic, with sesame and ajwain, kulcha (stuffed) with cottage cheese, potatoes or onions).
Black Pomfret in Masala Sauce. The fish was first deep fried, after which a masala sauce was poured over it. The texture of the flesh was firm, similar to mackerel. Went wonderfully with the breads which soaked up the sauce.
Royal Minced Mutton Briyani. The caramelised onions provided a sweet taste to the briyani.
Squid Vindaloo. Not as spicy as I’d expected, the squid were tossed in a mildly spicy puree made with onions, tomatoes and chilli. Not mushy at all.
Garlic Rice. I LOVED the garlic rice – steamed basmati that was light and fluffy with a moderate garlicky taste.
Mutton Rogan Josh. The mutton was rather chewy and not the best I’ve had. This is a popular Kashmiri dish where the colour is derived from a special kind of pepper.
Chicken Hyderabadi – the mildest of all the dishes, the sauce had a cashew nut base, and the flavour was enhanced with garlic and tomatoes. Was definitely one of the more popular dishes that night.
Palak Paneer and Navaratna Kurma. The cottage cheese (paneer) in the Palak Paneer was smooth and firm. An extremely addictive dish. The Navaratna Kurma was new to me. The dish was made with nine types of vegetables and dried fruits and cooked in a cashew nut gravy. When so many ingredients are used, inevitably the dish is a winner.
Mango Kulfi – deriving its colour from saffron, the kulfi included almond, cashew nuts and pistachio. Very rich and dense.
Gulab Jamun. A little too soft for my liking as it was probably soaked in the syrup too long.
Carrot Halwa. Absolutely delicious. The taste of the carrots was still recognisable and not masked by the sugar.
The food at Maharaj, while not being ambrosial, warrants merit. This is the place to go to when one wants to have a nice relaxing evening in an airconditioned environment and with polite and attentive service. Beers and wine are also available. The restaurant is situated in a bungalow, and there is enough parking space for approximately 30 cars.
Maharaj
59 Jalan Gasing
46000 Petaling Jaya
Tel: 03-7968 5515
Opening hours: Daily, 11.30am to 3.00pm, 6.30pm to 11.00pm (last order)
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The pictures above were taken with the Panasonic GF1 (a surprise gift from Bald Eagle). It is such a sexy camera, compact enough to slip into my handbag without weighing it down too much, and filled with features that would rival a DSLR. Needless to say, I’m loving it.
You went to the Maharaj without me? I thought it was supposed to be our special date place! Darn that gift-giving hubby of yours! 😛
omg, u and BE look so cuteee in that portrait at the top! hope u didn’t have to suffer too long while posing with the drum hanging from your necks … when was it painted ar? i’m guessing circa 1996 😀
i had to google cuchumber, and the more common spelling seems to be kuchumber … not that i’ve ever heard of it or tried it either! but all that fresh carrot would be excellent for my aging eyesight…
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. So sweet! 🙂 🙂 🙂
(re. the love story of BE & LL)
Enduring romance in technicolour!! SIGH!! It’s accounts like these that make me think that hey, that whole stance that love is fleeting and marriage is just legalized prostitution may not be so spot on after all!
woot! another place for indian food.. nice 🙂
That’s a nice post! The Mango Kulfi makes me so tempted to eat it 🙂
i want the prawns!!!!!
That’s it lah, I do not need to post this. You’ve got the pictures, the romance, the 100 dancers behind the coconut tree and all that jazz. Marian, this is my post too! 🙂
But I must say, fabulous job o’ Queen of DSLR/P&S/iPhone/and now, Four-third!
Life For Beginners: Time and Thosai wait for no man!
Sean: *tooot* wrong! 1992. By the time it was 1996, we both had extra 6 inches on our waists. Y’know how it is when a different language is romanised lah. Cuchumber, kuchumber, potayto, potahto, tomayto, tomahto, let’s call the whole thing off! (quick tell me, where is this from?)
J: Our love is as sweet as the gulab jamun we eat. 😀
minchow: Come to our love nest where we either change your mind or reinforce that belief. hahaha. Either way, you’ll go home satiated with vadai. That ain’t so bad.
TummyRumble: Yes, there can never be too many Indian restaurants!
wyyv: The Mango Kulfi was homemade and tasted really good!
KY: Ask and you shall receive. Nah! (vomits out prawn)
A Lil Fat Monkey: Ya, rite….once you post yours, everyone will forget mine. ^_^ Can’t wait to read your Bollywood story.
My, you are fast with this, hehe! I haven’t even downloaded my pics yet! It was indeed a memorable spicy evening. Oh btw, i think it was Squid Vindaloo that we had, no? I distinctly remember chewing on round rings, haha!
LOL….you’re right! That’s what happens when I write something too fast! thanks babe!
Omg…this is THE post! Captivating write-up (the romance! *melts*), excellent photos (now u make me want to own the Panasonic GF1…I may consider an upgrade from my Lumix now…ergh), & forever-looking-great-n-yummilicious FOOD!!! I didn’t realize there’s such a place near church…hahaha…I WANNA GOOOOO……..
Awww! So sweet of BE 🙂
Each grain of the garlic rice just pops out in your pictures 😉 and the spread…my goodness a feast worthy of any Maharaja and Maharani 😀
PerutBesi: Which church do you go to? Well, let me know if you wanna play with my camera…we can meet up one of these days. 🙂
unkaleong: Ya, he’s a sweetie, hor. It was quite a spread lor. I can’t wait to go again!
haha yes, fbb lines although crude is very true..
but still, tim does spoil the market abit la..GF 1 wor…hahaha
so lucky to hv such a sweet lou kung like BE 😀
i think i’m drowned with the GurlFren poison!!!
lotsofcravings: fbb is da bomb! Tim will always spoil market la coz he’s the BESTEST husband in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE!!
babe_kl: ya, i’m a lucky girl indeed! I like your label for the GF1. hahaha. so cute.
perut besi must be either from first baptist church, which is where this old man hails from, or PJ gospel hall.
pay heed to my pearls of wisdom people, or live to regret it, unless you are bald eagle.
i hate you thamby…i am so jealous. i also want a husband who gives me exp toys. CHIS.
and the 2nd chis is for missing this dinner.
fatboybakes: aren’t there more churches on Jln Gasing? Btw, Bald Eagle is not regretting it. He loves getting me stuff lah coz I’m not a demanding wife and I’m always making him lovely salads. Ya really. As for getting a husband, it’s never too late seeing the bevy of single men that gather regularly at Frangi on Friday. I’ll be glad to accompany you there. Ya, CHIS, you missed dinner with such wonderful company – Pureglutton, Munkeyboy and Marian!
Ah… long time didn’t eat Indian food already 🙁
going fr PJ using Jalan University… where is this Maharaj exactly?
Hehe… Apparently fbb had that conversation with someone while we were happily hipstamatic-ing that night. :p
BTW, you look so pretty in green + pink + purple.
food looks good and love the multi coloured decor. so pretty!
leo: head down the road till you reach the traffic light where the turning to PJ state/assunta school is. Do a U turn. The restaurant is on the immediate left. Located in a bungalow.
Sushi: Wow, FBB doesn’t waste any time in spreading his propaganda, huh? 😀 😀 Oi, are you trying to make me look like a Christmas tree?
sc: Yeah, it’s charming. 😀 The food’s good too.
No wonder the shots look different.
Anyway, I usually don’t order desserts in Indian restaurants for fear of them being too sweet. Until my Indian colleague went all out and proceeded to explain in details each and every one of them.
I like Gulab Jamun now, no matter how cloyingly sweet, or tooth-numbing they get.
J2Kfm: We should start a gulab fan club! I can never tire of good gulab jamun. My MIL has perfected the recipe. 🙂
I told ya, this IS my post too. 😛
LOL Munkeyboy. And so it shall be.
What a romantic story Meena 😉
And the food, my god! I’m salivating just looking at it 😀
Congrats on the click. The shots are superb!
When BE beats my hubby in giving you a car, then he shall be bestest husband in the universe. In the meantime, I’ll grant him bestest in SEA.. ^_^ *bee-atch*
GF1 – so GFAD. Mebbe I shud get one too. Can do bokeh shots ar?
The BP looks scrummy! I can live with kulcha and that alone. Yummz..
Thought you are using DSLR, very good picture, clear subject with blurred background
Hi Meena,
you left out a digit on the Maharaj’s tel No.
its 03 7968 5515
Tq,
Just love the sight of those Basmathi rice!
Eh Fat Boy Bakes… I think we need to do a Maharaj vs. Spice Garden showdown…
how awesome the decor looks (seeing the purple made me excited). From all of that, I would love to bite into the mutton briyani!
Kiran: Yar, romance is my middle name. ahem. 😛
gfad: hahaha. I am satisfied with what I have, even if it’s a broken down beat up dinky looky car. 😀 (Yar, beeatchh but I love you anyway!) Yes, the camera can do your favourite bokeh shots. Can’t you tell? If you can’t, then I have failed lor….. What’s BP ar?
vivien: Thanks! Been working hard at my cute li’l camera.
Ilan Govan: Sorry! I have duly rectified it. Thanks!
foodbin: yes, it’s really tasty too!
Frat Mustard: yes, do go with FBB.
daphne: Everything’s good, actually, not just the mutton briyani. 🙂 You should add this restaurant to the list of places to visit when you come down next to Malaysia!
Black Pish…I mean Pomfret! ^_^
Wahhh.. P&S can do bokeh. This you must show me ler..
gfad: Ahhhh thanks for enlightening me, O Wise One. Well, this isn’t quite a P&S. 😀 Go google my camera!
Aw, BE is so sweet 🙂 I especially love the curries in the second half of the post, plus the biryani 🙂
wow! very nice food and place! this is the one we missed with u guys n marian.. sob!!! hehe
eh, just how many cameras exactly does ur husband think u need..geez pass one here la.. donation to the poor!!! muwhahahaha 😛
Manggy: He is, isn’t he? 🙂 Yeah, the curries were gorgeous!
ciki: you poor? you’re richer than me lar, chis.