WALKING THROUGH GEORGE TOWN’S Little India, one smells a medley scent of cardamom, cumin, cinnamon and curry leaves. Steam rises from aluminium pots, roti is slapped against hot griddles and teh tarik is poured in long arcs between tin mugs. Orders are called out in Tamil, Malay or English, a reminder that Indian food in Penang is not a niche cuisine, but one of the island’s main fare.
Every plate of Indian dish on this island carries traces of old journeys: ships crossing the Bay of Bengal, labour contracts signed in colonial offices, moneylenders setting up shop on narrow streets… Indian food in Penang reveals the history of those who brought it over and the openness of the people in its new home.
