Steamed rice drenched in a mix of multiple curries — chicken, fish, squid, and vegetables — from the iconic Penang Indian-Muslim tradition, each spoonful a different swirl of flavor.
Ingredients
4 cups steamed basmati rice
500g chicken thighs
300g squid, cleaned and sliced
200g okra
3 hard-boiled eggs
Curry powder blend
400ml coconut milk
6 shallots
4 cloves garlic
3cm ginger
2 stalks lemongrass
1 cinnamon stick
3 cardamom pods
Star anise
Curry leaves
Tamarind juice
Salt
Instructions
1Blend shallots, garlic, and ginger into a paste. Fry with whole spices and curry leaves until fragrant.
2Add curry powder and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in coconut milk and tamarind juice.
3Add chicken thighs and simmer for 30 minutes until cooked through. Set aside.
4In another pot, prepare a squid curry with similar base spices, adding sliced squid and okra.
5Mound rice on plate. The key is banjir (flooding) — ladle multiple curries over the rice so they mingle.
6Arrange chicken, squid, okra, and halved boiled egg on top. Serve with pickled vegetables.
Did You Know?
The word "kandar" comes from the shoulder pole (kandar) that Tamil-Muslim vendors used to carry rice and curries in baskets balanced on each end, walking the streets of Georgetown.