[Halal] Hi Nasi Dalca Penang!
The first stop in our Penang trip is the popular Nasi Dalca Khalis at Bayan Lepas.
This shop is well-known for its generous amount of fried onions (bawang goreng) heaped on every plate of rice!
What is Nasi Dalca Penang?
Nasi Dalca is essentially nasi minyak (scented rice cooked with spices) served with dalca curry.
This dish is a true amalgamation of the different cultures in Penang.
Nasi minyak has its roots in Palembang Indonesia, while the dalca curry is obviously inspired by the South Indian dhal (lentil) curry.
Founder Khalis puts a new spin by adding kampung ayam (free-range village chicken) into its dhal – which gives it an extra umami kick.
While Khalis is only in his 30s, the recipes are inherited from his grandmother – a native of Bayan Lepas – and further modified by his mom.
Nasi Dalca Penang in Bayan Lepas
Ayam masak hitam 
There are at least 15 dishes offered at any given time.
Ayam masak hitam 
Ayam goreng
Some of the popular dishes include Kurma Kambing (mutton kurma), Ayam Goreng (fried chicken), and Ayam Masak Hitam (chicken in black sauce).
Famous for its bawang goreng
Each plate is topped with bawang goreng 
Bawang goreng
The main highlight has to be the bawang goreng, which is served with every plate of nasi minyak.
The fried onions are cooked with curry leaves and pandan leaves until crisp and caramelised.
At least 100kg of fresh red onions is used daily for this – which befuddles the mind.
However, do go early if you want to eat the bawang goreng – as they often run out.
This is not surprising as each plate is automatically served with a fistful of bawang goreng on top of the rice.
Good dalca!
A big pot of dhal curry 
Ming’s plate – rice with dhalca, turmeric cabbage and chicken leg
We ordered two plates of nasi dalca.
For Ming’s plate (RM12), she ordered the dhal curry with a serving of ayam kampung leg and turmeric cabbage.
While ayam kampung are usually known to be tougher than regular farmed chicken, this whole leg was surprisingly tender.
The chicken leg must have been cooked to tender in the dhal for hours. It is also very tasty – having absorbed all the flavours from the curry.
The dhal itself was creamy, with plenty of lentils used to yield a thick consistency. We found the dhal to be very balanced – not too heavy-handed on the spices like cumin and mustard seeds, with sweetness coming from the potatoes, eggplants, and carrots.
Bawang goreng and mint sambal
The bowls of mint sambal and bawang goreng 
As for the main star – the bawang goreng is superb! It is very flavourful and umami-rich – and really elevates the dish to the next level. It complements all of our dishes on the plate.
Max really enjoyed the fried onions, although Ming would have preferred it to be more crispy.
Each plate is served with the mint sambal
Each plate also comes with a spoonful of sambal pudina (mint sambal) on the side. This was a lovely touch – as the slightly tangy and piquant taste helps to mellow out the richness of the curries. It reminded us of mint chutney usually served with thosai.
Mix all the curries!
Max’s plate – mixed curries, ayam masak hitam, daging masak hitam
While we liked the dhal, the best way to enjoy nasi dalca is to mix all the gravies ala Nasi Kandar style.
This is exactly what Max did for his plate.
The curries just melded so well with the rice – creating such a rich and umami-bomb of flavours!
The curries are very savory and not spicy at all. We like that they were not overtly sweet like the curries of Kedah.
We definitely recommend dousing your plate with all the different curries.
Tender ayam and daging masak hitam
Daging hitam 
While there were so many tempting protein dishes, Max ultimately opted for a leg of Ayam Masak Hitam and Daging Masak Hitam.
The beef was superbly tender and flavourful.
However, we definitely preferred the ayam masak hitam as it was just tender and flavourful – with a strong hint of soy sauce and spices.
Max’s plate only costs RM10.
A hearty meal
We thoroughly enjoyed the meal! This was truly a great first stop on Penang island.
We arrived at 1pm on a Friday afternoon with little queue – an opportune time as Muslims were praying at the nearby mosque then.
However, we suspect that the crowd will eventually build up after prayers – as we’ve seen the workers prepping rice in anticipation of a crowd.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
We advise you to visit Nasi Dalca Khalis early on a weekday to avoid the crowd.
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More recommendations in Penang
For more food recommendations in Penang, check out the link below.
Here are some our favourites:
Learn how to cook Dhal
Learn how to make your own dhal curry with our recipe below.
More pictures of Nasi Dalca Khalis
Nasi Dalca & Briyani Khalis
Address: 487, Jalan Dato Ismail Hashim, Kampung Masjid, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
Hours: 12pm-4pm, 5.30-10pm Daily (Closed on Saturdays)
Phone: 019-594 4533
Order: geniuspos.com.my
Website: https://www.facebook.com/nasidalcabriyanibayanlepas/
