Tender juicy tomato chunks and silky eggs in a savory aromatic stir fry.

Tomato Egg

Serves 2

This is one interpretation of the classic Chinese stir fry. While it is not particularly different from any other recipe you will find on the internet, it is tasty, versatile and takes less than 10 minutes including prep time as long as your rice is hot and waiting.

The two things that make my version different are that first, I cook everything together in one pan rather than cooking the eggs and tomatoes separately and then bringing them together at the end. I like this method best as I most often make this for breakfast and speed is the name of the game in the morning. Second, I add fish sauce instead of oyster sauce which is more traditional because I think its flavor is more subtle in this dish. Finally, I add a little ketchup. While this is also not traditional I like the sweet tang it adds that rounds out the sauce.

As for its versatility, I mentioned that I often make this for breakfast but, I make it for dinner as well. First I modify the ingredient proportions slightly by adding more scallions and garlic along with a sliced cheongyang chili and saute it all in chili oil rather than vegetable. Then I finish the dish as listed. The changes are seemingly small but, make a massive difference in flavor and perfect for a light dinner.

Ingredients

10ml (2 t) vegetable oil

40g (2) scallions, sliced with the whites and greens separated

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 T ketchup

*250g (1 medium) tomato, roughly chopped

20ml (4 t) fish sauce

2g (0.50 t) ground black pepper

1g (0.25 t) kosher salt

4 large eggs, beaten until combined. 

Finishing

Hot rice

Sliced cucumbers

Method

1.      Heat a medium nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat.

• Add the oil heating for 15 seconds.

• Add the scallion whites and garlic sauteing for 30 seconds.

• Add the ketchup and cook 15 seconds longer.

• Increase the heat to high.

• Add the tomato, salt, pepper and fish sauce.

• Cook for 60 – 90 seconds or until the tomatoes begin to soften slightly around the edge.

Less ripe, firmer tomatoes will take up to the longer time listed while riper, softer tomatoes will take less time.

Do not cook the tomatoes too long or you will have tomato sauce rather than tender juicy chunks of tomato.

• Add the eggs and cook turning the eggs over continually for 30 seconds or until the eggs are 75% cooked.

• Add the scallion greens and turn off the heat.

• Continue to turn the eggs over for 30 – 45 seconds or until the eggs are no longer liquid.

Be careful with the timing of cooking the eggs. You want the eggs to still be tender and soft when served.

Remember that when you shut off the heat, the eggs will continue to cook in the heat pan.

• Spoon the eggs over the rice.

2.      Serve.