Kenduri Food Planning: Portions, Buffer and Timing

Running out of rice is the one thing guests never forget. These are the working sukatan Malaysian cooks use — and the habits that make them safe.

The working sukatan

Rice: 1kg ≈ 10 people (regular), 1kg ≈ 12 people (basmathi)
Chicken: 1 whole bird (~1.3kg, cut into 8) ≈ 8 people
Beef: 1kg ≈ 10 people for rendang/curry (gravy stretches it)
Drinks: ~0.5 litre per person (more if it's hot or the event runs long)
Kuih: ~1.5 pieces per person

Use the kenduri calculator and it applies all of these to your guest number in one click.

Buffet vs packed — they are different maths

Buffet: people take seconds of favourites and skip others. Rice disappears faster than the protein of the day.
Packed (bungkus): every box is identical, so portions are predictable — but count boxes carefully; late guests still expect one.

Timing changes the crowd

Lunch kenduri (11am–2pm): high turnover, people eat and leave. Cook for the peak, not the total guest list at once.
Dinner events: guests eat more and linger — push the buffer to 15%.
Weekday majlis: usually fewer guests than RSVPs suggest; weekend ones bring the extras.

Why the buffer is non-negotiable

Cook slightly more than the maths says — 10% normally, 15% if your crowd is young or the event is long. Slightly-over food goes home with helpers; slightly-under food becomes the story people tell for years. The calculator's buffer option does this for you, and rounds up to sensible purchase sizes (half-kilos, whole birds).

Calculate your kenduri quantities

Frequently asked questions

Should I cook myself or hire a caterer?

Cooking yourself saves money but costs enormous time and stress. A middle path many families use: caterer for rice and mains, home cooking for specialties and kuih.

How do I sanity-check a caterer's quote?

Divide their quote by guests to get the per-pax price, and compare with what cooking yourself would cost using the calculator's quantities. That comparison is the real decision.