my 1st lontong goreng

(my 1st) lontong goreng

I do not know what came over me this morning.

I was already late when waking up, late when I went to jog and obviously late when coming back.

And yet, when I saw the leftover lontong from yesterday's Soto Ayam that my mum prepared, I got to chopping an onion and some garlic and even used the pestle & mortar to grind some chilli.

All while I'm STILL in my jogging gear. Talk about being spontaneous... And the best part? I have never done Lontong Goreng before.

And from whom did I actually learn, to make this dish? No... not my mum.

It's from the cooks who prepared the fried carrot cake at Banquet Foodcourts. You know, when you can watch from behind the clear glass panel, as the cooks prepare your order?

So I got the garlic, onion, chilli, dark soy sauce, dark sweet sauce, fish sauce and sesame oil. Plus some garnishings of chopped cilantro + spring onions (remainders from yesterday). ANd 2 eggs.

I was a little taken aback by how DARK the soy sauce is. Ok, I know they are called (premium) DARK soy sauce but ... Ok fine.. Bimboitic moment there.

And I almost forgot the fish sauce. I didn't use salt or light soy sauce so the fish sauce is essential to bring on the saltiness to this dish.

So aghast was I, that I forgot 1 important step (which I also learnt from the cooks at Banquet). Break up the chunks of lontong into smaller pieces, that is.

Despite having the flavours of the sauce just right, the flavours didn't get to really penetrate through those thick blocks of rice cakes so they end up tasting... bland.

Ah.... It's my 1st time, no? People learn from their mistakes. So do I.

My 1st lontong goreng.

Did you see how big those chunks of lontong are? How to get the flavours to penetrate in like that??!

My mum remarked that a little lime/calamansi juice can make it take even better but I was in such a hurry that I didn't manage to have a taste from her plate.

So eager was I to eat this fresh out of the frying pan, I didn't realise that I will have to take a shower on a full stomach prior to that; which is a big no-no in my books. Cos' it made me feel really uncomfortable. The feeling... euugh!

PS: In case you're wondering. Yes, I was late for work. VERY late. But boss not around. Phew!