oh coconut milk! oh hot chilli peppers! oh putrid soybeans!

First, my apologies for the less than stellar quality of the picture! Two things weren't in my favour at the time of picture snapping - time of day (early morning when the sun was still unsure about what kind of day it wanted today be) and the camera (mobile phone camera - ugh, I know, I better get back into the habit of toting my camera everywhere with me again!)

I had this (Lontong) for breakfast today - I found a place a 2 weeks ago which served lontong for breakfast - imagine my delight :)

Anyway, today's breakfast was at another place (a lucky find) - I had originally just wanted a warm lime juice drink to help a cough i developed from not sleeping 2 days in a row - serves me right, right?

Back to the topic of lontong for breakfast. The first time I had lontong was probably way back in 1992. I was immediately appalled by it. By the ingredients, or rather combination of ingredients.  Which were basically putrid soybeans (and assorted vegetables) boiled to almost mash in coconut milk, chilli and tumeric root. I wanted to puke that first time, but out of respect of the cook, I downed the whole thing with a grimace.

Fast forward some 20 odd years... aah, how some food are an acquired taste... I've become quite the fan of lontong - I love the coconutty, spicy flavour, that sweet and savoury smell of coconut milk, the sting of extra spicy bird chilli on the tongue together with the indescribable exotic sense of tumeric root. I even adore the slightly off taste of fermented soybeans (it's true name is TEMPEH by the way).

It's definitely not something I would eat every day though, or even every week! Maybe bimonthly. Yummm.

Hot and spicy - when green means fire

 

A big segment of Malaysians (well Asians for that matter) love, I mean LOVE their food hot. 

I am no different. I love my food hot but I prefer to have control over the degree of hot as opposed to having them done hot. So chili on the side, in a little dish, is, in my opinion, a brilliant idea! The ones in the picture are fresh ones, but sometimes they come pickled as well. Hot and sour. Yumm!

Someone I know remarked that we Asians have a thing for pain. If it has anything to do with food, I say bring it on! Lol.

Unlike Jane, hot shouldn't be plain. Good thing there are many (simple) ways to add interesting details.

Add light soya sauce for a little saltiness. Ta Daa. Hot and salty.

Or if you have a sweet tooth, add dark sweet soya sauce. Ta Daa. Hot and sweet.

Squeeze some lime juice for a wonderful zing to the soya sauce-chili combination. Ta Daa. Tangy, hot and salty or sweet.

Lol.

Oh, before I forget. There is chili and there is chili. The green ones in the picture are the extra-hot-burn-your-tongue variety. Locally, in English, they're known as bird chili. Not everyone is familiar with that name though. Try 'chili padi' and you're all set. Lol. Even the green ones set your mouth and lips (or any part of your skin that comes in contact with it) on fire! You have been warned. Lol.

The larger (even when red) ones are extremely mild besides these little fiery bullets. Lol.

I use a lot of lol's in this post.  It's a reaction to hot.  Lol.