I religiously start the work day with
Sultana Bran and low fat milk - for a person that is so totally unpredictable when it comes to eating this is an anomaly. In our house there is no routine for when or what we eat. Dishes are created from cuisines from around the globe, eating out happens at the drop of a hat and meal times vary enormously. But back to breakfast, taken after 10am if at all possible! The Sultana Bran is the closest I get to incorporating a healthy component to my food regime and its substance helps to keep me going until I get a break at lunch time. On non working days breakfast can be sour-dough with home-made jam, eggs from my sisters rural living chooks, poached seasonal fruit, pancakes..... stop me ... the list is never ending - I love breakfast!
Having just spend weeks not going to work (yay!) and in countries where neither Sultana Bran nor sour dough was an option, I've added a couple more favourites to my breakfast list. Our time in India was in the north so breakfast often consisted of
Paratha (stuffed roti) made from wholemeal flour (atta) and filled with my choice of grated or shredded winter vegetables - potatoes, cauliflower, radish, spinach and sometimes paneer - usually some green chilli and spices. At home these were cooked on a
tava (concave griddle) with just a little ghee, at the paratha walla in Delhi lots of ghee was used and on the roadside in the tandoor. No two exactly the same but always deliciously earthy and wafting wheaty aroma's even before one bites in to the chewy rounds served with fresh curd and a little pickle.
In Malaysia
Nasi Lemak became my Sultana bran - not such a healthy choice though, let me explain, nasi means rice, lemak means fat - FAT RICE, the fat comes from the delicious coconut milk that the rice is soaked in before being steamed with fragrant pandan leaf. Wrapped in a banana leaf, the rice comes with a spicy chilli sambal (a good one really wakes up the taste buds!), a boiled egg, crunchy peanuts, sliced cucumber and fried dried anchovies (
ikan bilis), curry is often served with the lunch/dinner version.
Not surprisingly I'm not really looking forward to returning to my sultana bran regime, but then who would after nearly 4 months of fabulous breakfasts! Today we had corn pancakes with crispy bacon and eggs AND chilli sauce!
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| Breakfast version |
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| Lunch/dinner version |
I religiously start the work day with Sultana Bran and low fat milk - for a person that is so totally unpredictable when it comes to eating this is an anomaly. In our house there is no routine for when or what we eat. Dishes are created from cuisines from around the globe, eating out happens at the drop of a hat and meal times vary enormously. But back to breakfast, taken after 10am if at all possible! The Sultana Bran is the closest I get to incorporating a healthy component to my food regime and its substance helps to keep me going until I get a break at lunch time. On non working days breakfast can be sour-dough with home-made jam, eggs from my sisters rural living chooks, poached seasonal fruit, pancakes..... stop me ... the list is never ending - I love breakfast! 
Having just spend weeks not going to work (yay!) and in countries where neither Sultana Bran nor sour dough was an option, I've added a couple more favourites to my breakfast list. Our time in India was in the north so breakfast often consisted of Paratha (stuffed roti) made from wholemeal flour (atta) and filled with my choice of grated or shredded winter vegetables - potatoes, cauliflower, radish, spinach and sometimes paneer - usually some green chilli and spices. At home these were cooked on a tava (concave griddle) with just a little ghee, at the paratha walla in Delhi lots of ghee was used and on the roadside in the tandoor. No two exactly the same but always deliciously earthy and wafting wheaty aroma's even before one bites in to the chewy rounds served with fresh curd and a little pickle.
In Malaysia Nasi Lemak became my Sultana bran - not such a healthy choice though, let me explain, nasi means rice, lemak means fat - FAT RICE, the fat comes from the delicious coconut milk that the rice is soaked in before being steamed with fragrant pandan leaf. Wrapped in a banana leaf, the rice comes with a spicy chilli sambal (a good one really wakes up the taste buds!), a boiled egg, crunchy peanuts, sliced cucumber and fried dried anchovies (ikan bilis), curry is often served with the lunch/dinner version.
Mmmm..Nasi Lemak, sounds like you had a great food trip overseas. Growing up, we used to rotate all these savoury breakfast items mostly on Sundays as it's such an indulgence; we rotate around nasi lemak, roti chanai (paratha) with fish curry and dhal, lo ma kai (glutinous rice with chicken wrapped in lotus leaf), char siew (BBQ Pork) dry wonton noodles, prawn noodles, curry laksas or yum cha session - all for breakkie/brunch. But now, I'm also very happy with my poached and scrambled eggs on sourdough..mmmm..the love of food! ain't it great? :)
ReplyDeleteI worked my way through your list Mei Sze (and more!!!) while in Penang and KL.
ReplyDeleteIndulgence - I know my raison d'etre shouldn't be "Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!"
— Mae West
Cheers Rumbaba