Penang Nasi Kandar

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" (rice) hawkers or vendors would "kandar" (balance) a pole on the shoulder with two huge containers of rice 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. 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. The curry sauce mix is always poured directly onto the rice.