Egg and Tomato is the epitome of easy Chinese style home cooking. If you’ve never had it before, it doesn’t sound like much, but let me tell you, if there’s any dish you need to know how to make, it’s this one.
If done correctly, this dish is a harmony of flavours that will amaze you with its humble ingredients. Simply put, this dish has everything. It’s fast, easy to make, uses few ingredients, and is incredibly tasty.
You will need (for 2 servings):
- 3 ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Salt and pepper, to season
- Cilantro, chopped
- Chives or scallions, chopped
- Oil
Start with a wok on medium high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. As the oil heats up, add the garlic and cook slowly. Once the aroma of the garlic starts to overtake the kitchen, add the tomatoes.
Stir the tomatoes and continue to cook, breaking down the tomatoes. Season with a pinch of salt to help the process along. Cover and continue to cook until the tomatoes give off their liquid. Once the tomatoes have properly broken down, add the fish sauce (or soy sauce) and the sugar. Once the tomatoes have broken down and the whole thing looks saucy, add some chopped chives (or scallions) and chopped cilantro. Give it a final mix and set aside.
Clean the wok and put it on the burner on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil then add the eggs. Keep stirring the eggs as the eggs come to cook. Keep breaking up the curds as the eggs set. You want something a little wet looking as you don’t want to overcook the eggs. Just before the eggs ‘look’ done, add the tomatoes and fold the mixture together. You’re looking for custardy eggs since the moisture of the eggs will complement the noodles. Once everything is combined, remove from heat and set aside.
Cook the noodles according to the directions. In this recipe, we are using the instant Shaangxi style noodles. They are wide, with frilly edges and a thicker center which gives them a nice bite, and a texture that holds onto the sauce.
To assemble, just start with a pile of noodles, top with the tomato egg mixture, and garnish with more fresh herbs. ENJOY!