Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes

Fanqie Chao Dan (番茄炒蛋)

Simple, healthy, and delicious – these fluffy scrambled eggs are brightened with vibrant red tomatoes and only require a few ingredients and minor cooking ability.

Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes are often served as a side or appetizer along with heartier dishes. However, it can make a healthy and easy breakfast, lunch, or dinner any day of the week. Tomatoes are rich in vitamins and antioxidants; Eggs are full of protein and low in fat. Together, they pack a one-two punch of a lean protein and a vitamin-rich fruit-vegetable. If unconcerned with carbs or weight loss, serve with a bowl of white rice.

This popular side is not necessarily native to Sichuan but found in restaurants and homes all across China. Furthermore, there are numerous ways of making this dish, so experiment to find your favorite. Some restaurants have a rather soupy version with lots of tomato juice, while others have almost no tomato juice once the dish is finished cooking. The soupier versions of this dish are usually rather sweet and rely on sugar, and sometimes even ketchup, to give a mild sweet and sour flavor. However, my favorite version is a bit simpler. The following recipe is for making super fluffy eggs without a soupy, sweet sauce. So in this version, there is no need to add water, sugar, or even ketchup as found in other versions of this classic dish.

Common variations of Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes will be listed following this recipe, including the Classic version found at most Chinese restaurants.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 5 min

Total Time: 10 min

Serving: 2 people

Ingredients

1 Tomato

Garnishes (All Are Optional)
1 green stalk of Small Scallion (小葱)
1 small bunch of Cilantro
1 clove of Garlic

4 – 5 Eggs

Peanut Oil

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Oil Chili Flakes (Optional)

Directions

1.) Wash the Tomato, set it on a cutting board, and slice off the top, discarding the tough woody part. Slice the Tomato into 1/2-inch-thick slices and then cut these slices in half.

(The Tomato slices can be rather thick, depending on preference. The Tomato can also be cut into batons, wedges, or cubes).

2.) Prepare any Garnishes, setting them on a small plate:

• Finely slice the Small Scallion.
• Roughly chop the Cilantro.
• Mince the Garlic.

3.) Crack the Eggs into a large bowl, and using chopsticks or a fork, whisk the Eggs vigorously with a lifting motion to incorporate plenty of air.

(This will make the Eggs light and fluffy when they are added to hot Oil).

4.) Heat a seasoned wok on medium-high and add 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil. Lift the wok and rotate your wrist to coat the sides of the wok with the hot Oil. Return the wok to heat and allow the Oil to get hot but not quite smoking.

(5.) Give the Eggs a final stir and pour them into the wok. The Eggs will instantly form a bubbly cooked layer, so begin to fold the Eggs and gently scramble them.

6.) Add the Tomato slices to the wok, preferably while the Eggs are still a bit runny, and gently stir-fry them until the Eggs are set.

(Another option is to make Pan-Fried Eggs and Tomatoes (西红柿煎蛋). The Tomato slices would be added to the raw beaten Egg. The mixture would be poured into a hot seasoned wok, allowed to set, flipped once, and then finished cooking. The end result looks similar to an omelet. Another similar method is to cook the Eggs on a single layer until nearly set, flip them once, and then finish that side. The Tomato slices would be added and the omelet gently scrambled as the Tomato cooks).

7.) Sprinkle Salt around the Eggs and Tomatoes in the wok and give a final couple of stirs.

(The length of time in which the Tomato is stir-fried with the Egg can be anywhere from a few seconds to over a minute. The longer the Tomato cooks, the more it will break down and the soupier the dish will become. Once the Tomato slices are hot, you can finish the dish immediately or continue to cook everything until the dish has become saucy from Tomato juice. If you would like to season the Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes with Sugar or Ketchup, do so once the dish has become a bit saucy. Adding 1/4 cup of water can assist with this if the Tomato isn’t very juicy on its own).

8.) Slide the Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes onto a plate, optionally add a spoonful of Oil Chili Flakes, and Garnish with Garlic, Cilantro, and Scallion.

Classic

For Classic Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes: Use more Tomatoes and less Eggs – only 3 – 4 Eggs and 2 Tomatoes. Cut the Tomatoes into wedges instead of slices. Add 1/4 tsp. of White Vinegar to the Eggs as they’re being whisked. Pan-Fry (煎) the Eggs as normal, but remove them from the wok after they’re fully cooked. Add 1 Tbsp. of Oil to the wok and stir-fry the Tomatoes for about 30 seconds. Add 1 Tbsp. of Ketchup and 2 Tbsp. of Water, simmering the Tomatoes for about 1 minute until quite soft but not mush. Add 1/2 tsp of both Salt and Sugar and stir them into the saucy Tomatoes. Thicken the sauce by adding 1 Tbsp. of Corn Starch Slurry and splash in 1/2 tsp. of Scallion Oil. Return the Eggs to the wok, stir them into the sauce, and then pour the Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes into a dish. Garnish with thinly sliced Scallion and serve.

Simple

For Simple Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes: Use all the same amounts listed in the pictured recipe, but increase the amount of Oil. Begin by cutting the Tomato into 1/2-inch cubes. Crack the Eggs into a bowl as before but this time add finely sliced Scallion and Salt directly to them. Then, whisk the Eggs together. Add the Tomato cubes to the Egg mixture and stir again to combine them. Add 1/2 cup of Oil to the wok and heat until super-hot but not smoking. Scoop up about 1/2 the Oil in a large ladle and hold the ladle in one hand and the bowl of Egg mixture in the other hand. Pour the Egg mixture into the wok and drizzle hot Oil on top of the Egg so that it quickly sets. As soon as it sets, stir it with a pushing motion to break the Egg into smaller pieces. Slide the Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes into a dish and serve.

Saucy

For Saucy Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes: Begin by peeling the Tomato. To do this quickly, make several shallow slices crisscrossing the bottom of a Tomato. Place the Tomato in a metal bowl and pour boiling water over it. Wait a few minutes until the Tomato can be safely retrieved and then easily peel the skin from the Tomato. Cut the peeled Tomato into wedges. Crack the Eggs into a bowl and whisk them vigorously. Add 1/2 cup of Oil to the wok and heat until super-hot but not smoking. Scoop up about 1/2 the Oil in a large ladle and hold the ladle in one hand and the bowl of beaten Eggs in the other hand. Pour the Eggs into the wok and drizzle hot Oil on top of the Eggs so that they quickly set. Remove the Eggs from the wok and set them aside. Add the peeled Tomatoes to the wok and stir-fry them for about 1 minute. Add 2 Tbsp. of Ketchup and stir-fry it with the Tomatoes for a few seconds. Add 1/4 cup of water and bring the sauce to a boil. Season the sauce with 1/2 tsp. of Salt and 1/2 tsp. of Sugar. Thicken the sauce with 1 Tbsp. of Corn Starch Slurry. Once thickened slightly, add the Eggs and gently scramble them into the sauce with a pushing motion. Pour the Soupy Scrambled Eggs and Tomatoes into a dish and serve. This version doesn’t need a Garnish.

Scrambled Eggs and Tomato Soup

Fanqie Chao Dan Tang (番茄炒蛋汤)

Healthy delicious soup, made with vitamin-rich tomatoes and protein-packed eggs, is the perfect simple side to pair with spicy Sichuan entrees.

The flavor of Scrambled Eggs and Tomato Soup is simple. It's the classic combination of tomato and eggs that provides all the flavor. Traditionally, the soup is seasoned with salt and thinly sliced scallion, and that's all it needs.

Small Scallion (小葱) is traditionally the only aromatic used for Scrambled Egg and Tomato Soup. The fragrant bite of this green onion enhances the smoothness of the eggs and the tanginess of the tomatoes. However, I personally like the combination of cilantro with the tomato and eggs. So, when making this for myself, I often add chopped cilantro as in the picture above. You could add either or both depending on your preference: do you wanna go traditional or tweak the flavor? It's all up to you, but regardless, your Scrambled Eggs and Tomato Soup will be one of the highlights of the meal.

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 15 min

Serving: 2 - 4 people

Ingredients

1/2 to 2 Tomatoes (depending on size and preference; preferably fleshy tomatoes)
2 green small Scallion Stalks (小葱) AND / OR 2 Tbsp. roughly chopped Cilantro

3 - 4 large Eggs

1 cup of Peanut Oil

Seasonings
1 - 2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Chicken Bouillon Powder (Optional)

Directions

1.) Wash the Tomatoes and cut them in half. Use two angled cuts to remove the tough whitish stem of each Tomato. Slice the Tomatoes slightly thicker than the average hamburger tomato and set the slices aside in a bowl.

2.) Wash and finely slice the Scallion AND / OR wash and roughly chop the Cilantro.

3.) Crack open the Eggs, dropping them into a bowl, and whisk thoroughly, incorporating as much air as possible to make them light and fluffy.

4.) Heat about a cup of Peanut Oil in a wok on high heat. When the Oil is super-hot but not yet smoking, scoop up at least 1/2 a cup of the hot Oil with a large ladle. Use your other hand to pour the beaten Eggs into the wok and then immediately pour the hot Oil from the ladle over the Eggs.

(This will help to cook the Eggs more evenly and quickly by applying heat from both sides.)

5.) As the Eggs form a fluffy omelet-like layer, begin to swirl the Eggs around the bottom of the wok to cook them. Flip them once and then continue to swirl the omelet around the bottom of the wok until it's fully cooked.

6.) With the Eggs fully cooked, add the slices of Tomato and swirl them around the wok along with Eggs just to heat them slightly.

(There's no need to scramble the Eggs or try to break up the Tomatoes, because this will happen naturally as the soup cooks).

7.) Fill the wok about one third full with water (or simply add enough water to make soup at the ratio you prefer). Bring the water to a boil on high, then drop the heat to medium, and cook for three minutes. During these three minutes, skim off any scum from the Tomatoes that rises to the surface.

8.) Finally, when the soup has whitened slightly, add Salt to taste and optionally stir in a teaspoon of Chicken Bouillon Powder.

(Scrambled Eggs and Tomato Soup usually has a rather simple flavor, so Chicken Bouillon Powder is totally optional and not necessarily traditional).

9.) Pour the Scrambled Eggs and Tomato Soup into a large serving bowl and garnish with plenty of Scallion or Cilantro.

 

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