Nasi kandar is a popular northern

Malaysian Malaysian may refer to: * Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia * Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia * Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...

dish from Penang, originally introduced by

Tamil Muslim Tamil Muslims are Tamils who practise Islam. The community is 5.7 million in India, primarily in the state of Tamil Nadu where 70% of the Muslim community identified themselves as Tamils. The Tamil-speaking Muslims are descendants of marria ...

traders from India. The meal consists of steamed

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

combined with an array of distinct curries, sides dishes, and gravies. The selection of curries consists of various blends of vegetables, seafood or meat. Other closely related regional variations of Nasi Kandar include Nasi ganja ( Ipoh), Nasi dalca (Penang), Nasi lemak royale/ Nasi lemak ( Alor Setar) and Nasi maduri (

Perlis Perlis, ( Northern Malay: ''Peghelih''), also known by its honorific title Perlis Indera Kayangan, is the smallest state in Malaysia by area and population. Located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, it borders the Thai provinces ...

Etymology

The dish name is potentially a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsMalay, meaning

; while ''Kandha is an Urdu name means

shoulder The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder mak ...

; another possible theory is that the name originated from the word ''Mengandar'' - "rest on shoulders" in Malay. However, both theories are aligned on its common origin - the use of a

shoulder pole A carrying pole, also called a shoulder pole or a milkmaid's yoke, is a yoke of wood or bamboo, used by people to carry a load. This piece of equipment is used in one of two basic ways: *A single person balances the yoke over one shoulder, with ...

for transporting the food.

History

Nasi kandar originates from the early 1900s, when itinerant Indian Muslim vendors would sell curry and rice to the dock employees of Weld Quay, located in George Town, Penang. The earliest form of nasi kandar initially contained fish

curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...

with eggplant or

okra Okra or Okro (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers or ochro, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It has edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with su ...

, fried curry beef, fried fish and

boiled egg Boiled eggs are eggs, typically from a chicken, cooked with their shells unbroken, usually by immersion in boiling water. Hard-boiled eggs are cooked so that the egg white and egg yolk both solidify, while soft-boiled eggs may leave the yolk, ...

s; it cost about 5 cents each. The rice hawkers would commonly set up stools at a

jetty A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying some ...

to sell breakfast to dock workers. By the 1930s, the rice peddlers would also commonly travel from home-to-home. It was also common for the seller to operate on the roadside or beneath a shady tree. They would carry

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

pots by a bamboo or a wooden

; on one end of the pole there were containers holding curry meals, with plain rice on the other end. However by the mid 20th century, the traditional approach of transporting the rice and dishes on the shoulder began to wane off, as many sellers moved towards selling nasi kandar in stalls and alleyways. In the 1970s more vendors invested in the restaurant industry, further departing from the mobile eatery origins of nasi kandar. The menu options have also progressed; a common present-day nasi kandar restaurant will sell up to dozens of distinct curries, gravy and side dishes. Hameediyah, is recognized as Penang's oldest nasi kandar restaurant, originally started under a tree at a field in Lebuh Campbell, Penang, in 1907.

Description

The rice for a nasi kandar dish is often placed in a wooden container about three feet high, giving it a distinctive aroma. The rice is accompanied by side dishes such as fried chicken, curried beef spleen, cubed beef, lamb, fish roe, fried prawns or fried squid. The vegetable dish would usually be (brinjal or "terong") (

aubergine Eggplant ( US, Canada), aubergine ( UK, Ireland) or brinjal (Indian subcontinent, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. ''Solanum melongena'' is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Mo ...

(lady fingers or "bhindi") or

bitter gourd ''Momordica charantia'' (commonly called bitter melon; Goya; bitter apple; bitter gourd; bitter squash; balsam-pear; with many more names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Afri ...

. A mixture of curry sauces is poured on the rice. This is called 'banjir' (flooding) and imparts a diverse taste to the rice. Traditionally, nasi kandar is always served with its side dishes on a single plate. Nowadays, small

melamine Melamine is an organic compound with the formula C3H6N6. This white solid is a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 67% nitrogen by mass, and its derivatives have fire retardant properties due t ...

bowls are used for the side dishes. Nevertheless, the curry sauce mix is always poured directly onto the rice. In recent years, several chain restaurants have appeared such as Nasi Kandar Shaaz, Nasi Kandar Subaidah, Nasi Kandar Nasmir,

Pelita Nasi Kandar The Pelita Nasi Kandar (Malay language, Malay: Nasi Kandar Pelita; ta, பெலிடா நசீ கண்டார்) is the largest nasi kandar restaurant chain in Malaysia. Its main headquarters is in Taman Chai Leng, Perai, Penang. The ...

, Nasi Kandar Astana, Q-Bistro Nasi Kandar and Kayu Nasi Kandar. Purists have disputed its taste compared to the original Penang versions.

Variations

There are a few related forms of the meal with some divergent on the type of rice, side dishes and recipes; albeit all commonly shared a curry-based condiments to complete the meal: * Nasi dalca - Plain white rice or the ghee-based

Nasi minyak Nasi minyak ( Palembang Malay for "oily rice") is an Indonesian dish from Palembang cuisine of cooked rice with ''minyak samin'' ( ghee) and spices. This rice dish is commonly associated with Palembang city, the capital of South Sumatra provinc ...

, commonly paired with ''Kuah Dalca'' (Dalca-styled gravy) and an assortment of curries. Sprinkles of

Bawang goreng Bawang goreng is an Indonesian crispy fried shallots condiment, a popular garnish to be sprinkled upon various dishes of Indonesian cuisine. It is quite similar to crisp fried onion. Ingredients Compared to onion, shallots are much smaller in ...

is usually added on top of the meal. * Nasi ganja - Yellow coloured rice with herbs, though in fact no "ganja" (

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...

) is actually used in its preparation. Commonly associated with Ipoh, and to some extend Perlis. * Nasi lemak Alor Setar/Nasi lemak Royale - Slightly different from white

basmati Basmati, , is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

-based rice commonly seen in Nasi Kandar, the Nasi Lemak Royale is yellow in colour, some vendors may even added glutinous rice on the recipe. The curry mixture is sometimes being slightly sweet compared to the traditional Nasi Kandar. Popular in Alor Setar, Kedah. * Nasi maduri - Yellow in colour, and commonly eaten with dalca, meat and chicken curry. Usually found in the state of Perlis. File:Nasi Kandar Kayu.jpg, Nasi Kandar with fried fish and vegetables File:Nasi Ganja.jpg, Nasi ganja, a variation of Nasi Kandar File:Nasi Lemak Utara.jpg, An Alor Setar-styled Nasi Lemak

References

External links