Stir Fried Tomatoes and Eggs is What Every Chinese Kid Eats Growing Up

If you're wondering why you haven't heard about this dish before, it's because you won't usually find stir fried tomatoes and eggs on a restaurant menu. It's a classic Chinese comfort food that's easy to make and low cost. Every family puts their own spin on it. I like my mom's version the best, which is a simple five ingredient recipe that's more of a stew than a stir fry. Read on to learn how to make this yourself and to learn about other recipe variations.

Stir Fried Tomatoes and Eggs

• Prep Time:2 mins
• Cook Time:15 mins
• Total Time:17 mins
• Servings:2
• Easy

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 4 tomatoes
• Canola oil for frying
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• Step 1

  Beat the eggs in a bowl and roughly chop the tomatoes.

  

• Step 2

  Heat a large pan (doesn't have to be nonstick) with canola oil over medium high heat. There should be enough oil in the pan to evenly coat the bottom. The pan is hot enough when a drop of egg sizzles immediately in the pan.

  

• Step 3

  Pour in the egg mixture and gently stir to scramble the eggs. Cook until there is no runny egg left, and then remove the cooked eggs from the pan. If there is excess oil left behind in the pan, pour it out and discard it or save it for another use.

  

• Step 4

  Return the pan to medium high heat, then add the tomatoes. Stir fry the tomatoes until they start to release liquid.

  

• Step 5

  Cover the pan and let the tomatoes boil for 10 minutes. If the liquid boils off, add a 1/4 cup of water. The tomatoes should break down and become soft.

  

• Step 6

  Add the eggs, soy sauce, and sesame oil to the pan and stir to mix. Let cook for another minute or two to let the eggs stew in the tomato sauce.

  

• Step 7

  Serve hot with rice or noodles and enjoy!

  

While there's only five ingredients in this recipe, there are plenty of ways to change it up. Some people add a bit of sugar to the eggs for sweetness, some people prefer the tomatoes to be chunkier, and some (my dad included) like to add tons of finely minced ginger. Other options for seasonings include white pepper, garlic, or scallions, but you can customize to your own tastes. Try making this simple dish yourself to get a taste of a home cooked Chinese meal.