Nasi Kandar is a popular northern Malaysian dish, which originates from Penang. It is a meal of steamed rice which can be plain or mildly flavored, and served with a variety of curries and side dishes.
The word Nasi Kandar, came about from a time when nasi hawkers or vendors would kandar a shoulder pole with two huge containers of rice meals. The name has remained and today the word Nasi Kandar is seen on most Tamil Muslim or "Malaysian Mamak" restaurants and Indian-Muslim stall meals.
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 spleen, cubed beef, fish roe, fried prawns or fried squid. The vegetable dish would usually be brinjal (aubergine), okra (lady fingers or "bendi") or bitter gourd. 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 bowls are used for the side dishes. Nevertheless, the curry sauce mix is always poured directly onto the rice.
The most famous nasi kandar stalls in Penang are Kassim Restaurant and Line Clear.In Selangor, one chain of nasi kandar restaurants are Restoran Syed and Ahmad Shah Restaurant. Meanwhile in Kedah, the famous nasi kandar restaurants are Nasi Kandar Pokok Ceri and Royale Hijau Kuning. In recent years, several chain restaurants have appeared such as Nasi Kandar Nasmir, Pelita Nasi Kandar and Kayu Nasi Kandar. Purists have disputed its tastiness compared to the original Penang versions. In Perlis, the rice is coloured yellow with herbs and the dish is referred to as "nasi ganja", though in fact no "ganja" (cannabis) is actually used in its preparation.
(Nasi Kandar Thumbs Up), in front of Masjid Jamek, Kuala Ketil, Kedah is one of many nasi kandar stall or restaurant in Kedah.
Perak has some famous nasi kandar shops as well, most notably Gulam Rasul, Krishnan (Changkat Jong Road), Abas (Speedy Road) and Tai Sai Ah (Ah Cheong Road) in Teluk Intan. The best nasi kandar in Teluk Intan remains a hotly debated topic, with residents of Teluk Intan often holding up debates and competitions to decide the best nasi kandar. Unofficial records place Gulam Rasul and Krishnan at equal top spot.