Tomato Fried Eggs (西红柿炒鸡蛋)
- Amy Yu
- Jul 25, 2014
- 4 min read
America has its spaghetti with meat sauce, and China, has tomato fried eggs. As irreplaceable as hot dogs and apple pie in American cuisine, tomato fried eggs are near and dear to almost every person I know with roots in mainland China. Every household cooks up a slightly different version but the basic ingredients are always the same: fresh tomatoes, eggs, and garlic. Tomato fried eggs were a staple in the dinner rotation growing up, and my mom cooked a killer-good version. After coming to college, I’ve come up with my own variation. It’s not quite the same as my Mom’s but it still really hits the spot. Lucky for me, tomatoes are in season!
Aren’t they pretty? Also, just note for the recipe: I’m not kidding when I say EXTRA-LARGE tomato. See that big boy up in the front? Yup, that’s my unsuspecting victim just moments before being butchered. Sorry I’m not sorry Mr. Tomato.
A quick word of advice: make sure to prep all of your ingredients before you turn on the burner. Also, beat the eggs with chopsticks if you want to do it the Asian way. You’ll feel super legit. You might even want to Snap Chat your friends a video of your pro-egg-beating. They’ll be super impressed. Here's a look at that eggy goodness after a quick fry:
It’s important to heat the oil to a high enough temperature before adding the eggs. The eggs should sizzle as you pour them into the pan. You’re not going for soft, curd-like French-style scrambled eggs here. The eggs should be firm and have a few crisped brown bits. You’re going to set these babies aside so that the tomatoes can take over the pan.
The tomato is what really makes the dish. Some people like to flash fry their tomatoes so that they retain their texture. I, however, prefer a really thick and slow-simmered tomato sauce to coat the eggs. For extra tomato-y flavor, I like to add a bit of tomato paste. It’s totally optional, but it really enhances the dish, especially when your grocery store tomatoes are a bit under-ripe (i.e. tasteless.) I only used a teaspoon when I made the dish, but if your tomatoes look sad and pale, feel free to use up to a tablespoon. A ten minute simmer is all that it takes to concentrate all that tomato-y goodness. A before and after simmer comparison:
After the excess liquid has evaporated, all that’s left to do is toss the eggs back into the pan and add a few seasonings.
When it comes to serving, any sort of carb is fair game as an accompaniment. The traditional way is to just serve this over rice. You can also cook some rice noodles according to package instructions, drain them, and toss in the noodles at the end along with the eggs. Then you’ll actually have something like Asian spaghetti with meat sauce. You could even eat this for breakfast with some thick toasted bread. The important thing is that you have something to soak up that sauce. Using a spoon is encouraged. Confession: those cute panda chopsticks in the first picture were just for show. I actually ate this over quinoa with a spoon. (I just failed at being Asian, I know.)
Regardless of your nationality, you should give this dish a try! Fast, easy, and delicious, maybe it’ll make it into your regular meal rotations as well. Happy munching!
Tomato Fried Eggs (西红柿炒鸡蛋)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
¾ tsp. sea salt, divided
1 ¼ tsp. toasted sesame oil, divided
2 tbsps. grape seed oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 extra-large tomato, diced (about 2 ½ cups diced)
1 tsp.-1 tbsp. tomato paste, optional
1 tsp. sugar
2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
Preparation:
1. Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add ¼ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. sesame oil. Beat vigorously until well blended with pair of chopsticks or a fork.
2. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil over medium-high heat in a medium (preferably nonstick) skillet. Pour in the beaten eggs. Let the mixture sit until the bottom layer is cooked, about 10 seconds. Using a spatula, lift the bottom layer and let the uncooked part seep to the bottom of the pan. Repeat until the eggs are completely cooked through. Break up the eggs with your spatula. Pour the eggs into a bowl and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until translucent, stirring continuously, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato, tomato paste, sugar, and remaining ½ tsp. of salt. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered until the liquid reduces by about half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the eggs back into the pan and mix well. Turn off the heat. Stir in the green onions, balsamic vinegar, and remaining 1 tsp. sesame oil. Adjust seasoning with salt, sugar, and/or vinegar if desired. Serve immediately.
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