A staple dish found on the dinner tables of many Chinese families is 番茄炒蛋, which is roughly translated to tomato stir-fried eggs. It is one of those comfort food dishes you could prepare and cook for dinner in under fifteen minutes. Although my parents didn’t make this dish often, it is one of the dishes I truly appreciate when they do make it. My parents made eggs a lot for us to eat as a side dish served with rice during our childhood. Some of those egg dishes include steamed eggs, fried eggs, tea eggs, soy sauce eggs, and egg sandwiches. I’m guessing my parents loved to cook eggs because of how economical and versatile eggs are. When I first started living on my own, I would make eggs at least once a week. I’ve made scrambled eggs, hard- and soft-boiled eggs, quiches, frittatas, omelets, sandwiches, and tomato stir-fried eggs. I made many variations of tomato stir-fried eggs over the years and recently discovered my preference for using grape tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes. I realize my version of tomato stir-fried eggs deviates quite a bit from the classic dish found on the dinner tables of many Chinese families, but I equally enjoy this version. Adding in grated garlic makes the dish so much tastier.
Garlic Tomato Stir-fried Eggs
· 6 large eggs
· 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
· 2-3 garlic cloves, finely grated
· 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
· ¼ teaspoon white pepper powder
· ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
· ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· 8-10 grape tomatoes, sliced into halves
· 2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
Directions:
1) In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs. Set aside.
2) Heat a skillet to medium-low heat. Add a tablespoon of oil. Pour the whisked eggs into the skillet and slowly stir fry the eggs until almost set, about 1 minute. While the eggs are still cooking, add in the grated garlic, Shaoxing wine, white pepper, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. When the eggs are almost cooked through, add the grape tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Top with thinly sliced scallions.
Takeaways: The classic tomato stir-fried eggs use regular sized tomatoes sliced into wedges. If you prefer regular sized tomatoes, feel free to swap in regular sized tomatoes in place of the grape tomatoes. The egg dish can be easily customized to suit any taste.