Kijohn Yeoh's solo camping adventure on Penang's hills is filled with moments of peace and self-reflection. But it's his hilarious attempt to cook lentils in a calabash gourd that reminds us that the best part of camping is embracing the unexpected.
There’s a certain magic to solo camping – the kind of peace that comes when it’s just you, the rustling trees and the distant calls of birds.
It’s a time for self-reflection, adventure and, occasionally, highly-questionable cooking experiments.
Just ask Kijohn Yeoh, 52, who recently took his culinary curiosity to new heights – literally – on Penang Island’s hill range.
Ingredients for lentils-in-a-gourd soup, with two sweet potatoes for roasting.
A lifelong camper with a penchant for back-to-basics cooking, Yeoh set off for a one-night escape into the hills.
His first stop? The supermarket.
A large, green calabash gourd caught his eye, and inspiration struck. Why not use it as a cooking pot?
Hollowing out the gourd with a multi-tool camp spoon.
As a scout, he had cooked in green papayas, coconuts and bamboo. A calabash gourd seemed like the next logical challenge.
Yeoh rode a simple underbone motorcycle, locally called a kapcai, off-road and uphill.
A bit of clever slicing creates a snug-fitting lid for the gourd 'pot'.
When the terrain became too steep, he hid his bike in the bushes and hiked until he found a flat, secluded nook to set up camp.
Hammock strung, flysheet secured – it was time to cook.
A bit of clever slicing creates a snug-fitting lid for the gourd 'pot'.
Yeoh hollowed out the calabash, slicing the top quarter off to create a snug-fitting lid, hoping to trap heat for a primitive pressure-cooking effect. So far, so good.
But then came the flaw in his plan: lentils.
Lentils are a staple for camp cooking – hearty, nutritious and easy to prepare.
Sticks in the ground help support the ultra-tenderised gourd and half-cooked lentils.
Normally, they’re soaked for four to 12 hours before cooking to soften and reduce the cooking time. A simmering pot of boiling water can take about 40 minutes, depending on the variety.
Evidently, Yeoh had never cooked lentils before. He skipped the soaking entirely, poured them straight into the hollowed-out gourd with water and nestled it beside the embers of his campfire, waiting for slow-cooked perfection.
Slicing the gourd open to eat the insides.
Two hours later, the calabash had blackened and softened to a pudding-like texture, releasing a burnt aroma.
The lentils? They had inched closer to edibility but were still stubbornly firm, far from the creamy texture Yeoh had envisioned.
The gourd was in such danger of collapsing that he had to hammer three sticks into the ground to keep it upright.
Two hours by the fire and the calabash blackened and softened to a pudding-like texture, releasing a burnt aroma.
With no better option, Yeoh dug in. The lentils retained a crunchy defiance, but the gourd itself was perfectly tender, exuding a natural sweetness.
Lesson learnt: next time, pick a grain that plays nice with slow cooking – like barley.
A view of Yeoh’s campsite, with the gourd slow-cooking by the campfire embers.
But Yeoh wasn’t bothered. After 40 years of camping, he has come to embrace the art of trial and error, knowing that the best (and worst) campfire meals often come from unexpected lessons.
Because the joy of solo camping isn’t just about perfect sunsets or fresh jungle air – it’s also about the hilarious, humbling moments when nature reminds you that even the best-laid plans sometimes need a little more patience.
And maybe a soaking bowl.
