I enjoyed watching Muthu pack mixtures of curry for his customers. There are many different types of curry powder or paste - chillies, tumeric, cinnamon, cardamon, .... The colours varied from bright yellow to orange to different shades of brown. And it was not just the sight, but also the smells that were pleasurable.
Muthu will ask what kind of curries you are planning on cooking, and mix the appropriate amounts of the ingredients to suit the dish as well as your stated hotness tolerance.
We spoke a little about his business. He said that business hadn't been very good these days. It was much better in the old days. He spoke with a tinge of sadness about the old market at Gambier Road. That was where his mother used to run the curry stall. He had taken over from her as she advanced in age. All the stallholders had to move when the authorities stopped the operation of old market in June 2008. Gambier Road Market was Kuching's oldest meat and produce market, with buildings dating back to 1929. All the buildings were demolished in 2009 to accomodate a riverfront walkway.
The stallholders were given the opportunity to move to Stutong Market. Some however decided to retire for good, while others moved their operations to Stutong Market or to other markets. But for Muthu it was never quite the same again ...
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