Egg & Tomato
西红柿鸡蛋
When I first arrived in China, every lunch was a gaifan of some kind in the small local restaurants on Beijing. Gaifan (盖饭) means ‘topped rice’ and refers to a simple dish where anything could be added to a big hunk of rice on the plate - braised eggplant, curried chicken, pork and peppers, and one of the classics: egg and tomato. I cook this dish for lunch when I need something on the table in 15 minutes.
It can be served over rice, tossed through noodles or a dish of many. Today I had egg and tomatoes with a flaky flatbread, tearing off triangles and dipping it into the sauce.
This serves 1 person a generous lunch.
Ingredients
3 eggs
3 good ripe tomatoes (300-350g) (overripe work just fine)
1/2 to 1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 heaped teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon oil (sesame oil optional)
Method
Lightly whisk the eggs and chop the tomatoes into quarters or eighths.
In a wok or large pan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat. When hot, pour in the egg. With a wooden spatula fold the egg from edge of the pan into the middle as it cooks, from one side, then another, and then another. The egg should naturally break into chunks as you fold. I prefer bigger chunks the size of a tangerine segment.
Once the egg is just set, remove from the wok or pan. It won’t take long, perhaps a minute.
Heat a good glug of oil in the pan (about a tablespoon). Once the oil is hot, add the chopped tomatoes.
Let them get settled in the pan for 1-2 minutes then sprinkle over the salt and sugar to taste - the final dish should be a bit sweet. Shake the pan until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add a splash of water (about 20-30ml) and let it bubble on a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.
Throw the eggs back into the pan and toss together. You want a bit of sauce, so add a touch more water if needed then let the flavours merge as it bubbles away for about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.
If using noodles, cook them and add them to the pan at this point, mixing well, otherwise, pour over rice.
