Malaysian Indian cuisine

A typical Malaysian Indian dish is likely to be seasoned with curry leaves and whole and powdered spice, and to contain fresh coconut in various forms.

The traditional cookery of the Chettiar community is distinct from the predominantly vegetarian fare of Tamil cuisine as it is heavily based on robustly spiced meat preparations.

Available throughout the country, the omnipresent mamak stalls or restaurants are particularly popular among the locals as they offer a wide range of food and some outlets are open 24 hours a day.

A type of Indian Muslim meal served buffet-style at specialist mamak restaurant is called nasi kandar (analogous to the Indonesian nasi padang, where one pays for what one has actually eaten), white rice or biryani rice served with other dishes of curry either with chicken, fish, beef, or mutton, and usually accompanied with pickled vegetables and papadum.

Street vendors selling kacang putih, a collective term for snacks made of flour, nuts or legumes and many types of spices roasted or fried to golden yellow are still a common sight.