Half Boiled Eggs

Half Boiled Eggs and toast are a favorite Malaysian breakfast. Learn how to cook them to a soft, creamy, and delicious perfection in a hot water bath.

If you have lived in Malaysia for any period of time, chances are you have seen or even tasted Half Boiled Eggs with toast. This ubiquitous breakfast is a kopitiam (coffee shop) staple and a favorite of many. It is well loved by the young and old alike.

In fact, some ate it regularly back in the days when eggs were not considered the “bad boys” of cholesterol. It was considered healthy, especially for kids to eat half boiled super fresh kampung (free range) eggs. After all, the humble egg is a complete food, is it not?

After decades of “bad rap”, new studies now show that the caution may be an exaggeration. Whatever the case may be, it is probably unwise to eat a certain food every single day of the week. I love eggs but try to limit my intake to no more than 2 to 3 eggs a week.

So, if you have not use up your egg quota for the week, you may want to give these Half Boiled Eggs a try. They are really easy to prepare. All you need are water, eggs, a saucepan, and/or mug. Oh yes, and a kitchen timer. Actually the kitchen timer is crucial unless you are blessed with perfect timing in your head! Otherwise, use the wall clock. 😉

Traditionally, an enamel mug with a dome lid is used to perfectly cook these eggs. Over the passage of time, these enamel vessels have been replaced by their stainless steel counterpart. There is even a fail proof Half Boiled Egg Cooker which is a little hard to come by. Fortunately, a saucepan will suffice.

When it comes to the eggs, use the freshest and “bestest” eggs you can find. Over here, I use large organic brown eggs which are about 57 to 64 grams each. In Malaysia, it is best to use kampung eggs if available. Kampung eggs tend to be smaller and cooking time should be adjusted downwards accordingly.

Make sure the eggs are at room temperature. Remove them from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. If you are short on time, simply rinse them with warm water from the faucet until they are no longer cold to the touch.

In the video below, I show you two methods for making perfect Half Boiled Eggs. I hope you’ll give it a try.

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Half Boiled Eggs

Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

8 mins

Total Time

10 mins

 

Half Boiled Eggs and toast are a favorite Malaysian breakfast. Learn how to cook them to a soft, creamy, and delicious perfection in a hot water bath.

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Malaysian

Servings: 1

Calories: 144 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 cups water (480 or 720ml)
• 2 large organic eggs at room temperature (57g to 64g)
• A few drops soy sauce
• A little ground pepper
• Toast for dipping

Instructions

Method 1

1. Bring 3 cups (720ml) water to a rolling boil in a 1½ quart saucepan. Turn off stove and remove saucepan from stove. Gently lower room temperature eggs into the hot water. Cover saucepan with lid and allow eggs to cook for 7 minutes**.

Method 2

1. Place eggs in an enamel mug. Bring 2 cups (480ml) water to a rolling boil. Pour water into the mug over the eggs. Cover mug with lid and allow eggs to cook for 8 minutes**.
2. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle, crack eggs into a shallow bowl. Add a little soy sauce and ground pepper. Serve immediately with toast.

Recipe Notes

**Cooking time can vary +/- 1 to 2 minutes depending on size of eggs.

Lastly, do not forget the toast and some butter if preferred. Also, make yourself a cup of kopi-O (coffee with sugar only). Now, sit down and enjoy! 🙂