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Kopitiam half-boiled eggs
Soft-boiled eggs with soy sauce
Telur separuh masak: Malaysian kopitiam soft eggs with dark soy and white pepper
In the old coffee shops of Ipoh, Penang and Kuala Lumpur, breakfast is a cup of thick kopi, kaya toast and two eggs so lightly cooked they slide out of the shell into a saucer. You season them with dark soy and white pepper, stir and slurp them, or dip the toast in. The mistake is boiling the eggs: they are cooked off the heat in water just off the boil, so the white turns milky but stays wobbly. Because the eggs are barely set, cook them fully for anyone pregnant, young children, older people or anyone with a weakened immune system. Chef's tip: use a lidded mug or small pot that just fits the eggs, and warm it with hot water first so the temperature does not drop.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 4 eggsat room temperature
- 1 litre boiling water
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Bring 1 litre boiling water to a full boil, take it off the heat and leave for 1 minute.
Step 2: Lower 4 eggs into the water with a spoon, cover tightly and leave for 6–7 minutes, depending on egg size.
7 minStep 3: Crack each egg into a shallow saucer: the white should be cloudy and soft, the yolk warm and runny. If the white is still clear, return the remaining eggs for another minute.
Step 4: Drizzle over 1 tsp dark soy sauce and 1 tsp light soy sauce, dust with ¼ tsp ground white pepper and stir with a spoon. Eat straight away with toast.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kopitiam half-boiled eggs take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 2 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of dark soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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