Where can I try Chitty cuisine in Malacca?

Where can I try Chitty cuisine in Malacca? - Crop woman with organic banana in hands standing in kitchen

I've just learned of a local people here in Malacca (Melaka), Malaysia called the Chitties (Chetty in Malay). They're also referred to as "Indian Peranakans". They are descendants of Tamil men and local women who intermarried hundreds of years ago.

There is a Chitty neighbourhood and I passed it this afternoon but as it was raining and I saw no shops or restaurants I didn't linger.

Apparently they also have their own cuisine which combines Indian and Malay elements. I would like to be able to try some of these dishes if possible.

I've found two websites ([1], [2]) claiming there is no Chitty restaurant, but they seem to copy and paste from each other and in any case I can't be sure they're up to date or that the authors knew all there was to know.

Is there a restaurant anywhere in Malacca that has at least one dish based on Chetty cuisine? Or is there any other chance to sample their food such as a street fair or festival, even if it happens at a time of year I can't make on my current trip?



Best Answer

Ok, my initial disclaimer is this answer is based purely off second-hand or worse knowledge, i.e. Googling. Malacca is definitely on my list of places to get to, but I haven't been there yet so no first-hand knowledge.

There appears to be at least one restaurant that calls out some Chitty influences:

Amy Heritage Nyonya Cuisine

Melaka’s nyonya cuisine derives its flavours from the Malay, Chinese and Chitty communities. Try udang goreng assam (stir-fried prawns in tamarind paste), chicken pongteh (stew) and the telur dadar cincaluk (spicy omelette with fermented shrimp paste).

Ikan assam could be one example of a confirmed Chitty dish at the above restaurant.

Other than that, there's various other Nyonya restaurants that may have some Chitty influences but more commonly are based around Peranakan Chinese cuisine rather than Peranakan Indian.




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