Saturday, June 7, 2008

Breakfast with Nini John.

What is a 'roti John'? Literally it is 'John Bread'. It is simply an omelette sandwich which is a popular Malay breakfast or as snack food in Singapore, Malaysia and also Brunei. This 'roti John' comes in different sizes and there names to each size like - 'mama John', 'papa John' or 'baby John'.

The basic ingredients are usually minced mutton/beef, chopped onion, egg, tomato/chili sauce that are mixed together and placed into the cavity of a baguette loaf or sometimes French loaf. The whole loaf is then briefly pan-fried on a skillet. It is then cut into several bite portions and served.

Yesterday, CQ had two wonderful guests for breakfast. We had 'roti John', salad and honeyed grilled chicken (a new recipe that CQ, as usual, did some modifications .. huhu).

Instead of using the baguette or French loaf, CQ used round buns/breads and named them 'nini John' lols... literally it means 'grandpa or grandma John'. You can also use the 'hot dog' bread or any other type of bread, as long it is called bread. Use your imagination for variety of food creativity when hosting huhu ..

This is how it looks like before the 'roti John' is sandwiched. The white substance is mayonnaise.

Do you know how did 'Roti John' gets its name? Well, according to some stories, in the olden days, Westerners (particularly the males, CQ thought) were colloquially and affectionately referred to as 'John' and maybe because it was easier to pronounce 'John'.

During those olden times, these omelette sandwiches could have been so popular among the Westerners and therefore the name 'roti John' arrived as it was ..hmmm it could have been 'roti Jane' yeah ..huhu.

Fresh salad of assorted greens with tomatoes, black olives, and feta cheese. Drizzled with olive oil and a dash of black pepper .. it goes yumm yumm

This honeyed grilled chicken is easy to make. Marinate the chicken with honey, soy sauce, pepper and pounded garlic. This new recipe makes a terrific marinade and basting sauce for chicken chunks grilled on skewers or on a skillet. You can add your favorite vegetables (CQ omitted them because CQ had made salad) like onion, bell peppers, tomatoes or mushrooms. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or longer the better.

Preheat the grill for high heat. Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables. If you are using skewers, thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers. Lightly oil the grill grate or skillet. Place the chicken on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

CQ's guests enjoyed them very much. Oh the guests... yeah, they were of course Bigboss and Kimchi! Who else? huhu ..suspense aje!

3 comments:

CAO- Chef Azura othman said...

I love this kind of picnic food, the drumsticks looks yummy!I heard of roti john but I hardly go to pasar malam thats the downfall of living in the city, but now that you taught me how to do it , I might want to try doing it by myself.
When i see those photos, it reminds me of a big field, a big tree and me just snacking away !

CiliQueen said...

Yes! theses food are perfect for a picnic ...will let u try my roti John masterpiece some day ok (:

Anonymous said...

Well written article.