Little India Spice Trail & Banana-Leaf Feast

Duration

3 hours

Group size

Up to 10 guests

Languages

English, Tamil

The take

Spices make most sense at the stall, so this trail starts in Tekka's wet market mid-morning. Garlands and textile shops on Serangoon Road come next, then lunch on a banana leaf. For just the streets, Monster Day Tours runs a free walk from Little India MRT Exit B on Tuesday and Thursday at 4pm.

Meet Devi

Devi is a food writer and a Tekka regular. At Tekka Centre, the wet market and spice stalls are downstairs and the banana-leaf rice and thosai are upstairs. Many of the market stalls have packed up by early afternoon, so the morning goes on spices and lunch comes after.

Highlights

Tekka's wet market and spice stalls in their busy 9–11am stretch
Flower garlands on Buffalo Road and Serangoon Road
A banana-leaf lunch, eaten with your right hand

What you'll do

1
10:00 AM
Tekka deep-dive
Start downstairs in the wet market at Tekka Centre, still in full swing by mid-morning. Devi takes you round the spice stalls and the stories behind them. Cash helps.
2
11:00 AM
Craft corner
Flower garlands, then the textile shops along Serangoon Road. You can try sari draping if you'd like to, and skip it just as happily.
3
12:00 PM
Banana-leaf feast
Rice on a banana leaf, eaten with your right hand and no fork needed. Devi makes sure the yoghurt lands on the right quarter of the leaf.

Good to know

All food

Spice kit to take home

Market map

Host and translator

Tekka Centre is typically open 6.30am–9pm, with the wet market from about 6.30am; stall hours vary

Sri Veeramakaliamman, 141 Serangoon Road, is a short walk: typically 5.30am–noon and 5pm–9pm, so go before 10am or after 5pm. Shoes off, shoulders covered

Finding it: Tekka Centre, 665 Buffalo Road. Little India MRT (NE7/DT12) Exit A, then a short walk.

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