The origin of nasi kandar, an Indian Muslim dish, can be traced to the very streets of colonial Malaysia. Here, amidst the proud houses and bustle of life, a lone figure would trek through the dusty streets, bearing baskets of food and rice hanging from a yoke across his shoulder. Tantalising aromas of fragrant curries, vegetables, fried fish, beef and chicken would precede his arrival as he went from house to house, hawking his fare.
Hence the name, ‘Nasi kandar’, came from how this popular dish was delivered - "nasi" ( rice in Bahasa Melayu) and "kandar" (yoke in Bahasa Melayu).
Later, as towns grew and the pace of life changed, the traditional nasi kandar hawker would put down his yoke and set up a hawker stall to cater to the popular Malaysian pastime of streetside dining. Today, Nasi Kandar Pelita still uses the same age-old recipes enjoyed by generations before to deliver traditional mouth-watering dishes that are part of Malaysia’s unique heritage
