← Nouns Cooking · Chinese

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 450 g ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 Spring onion, sliced, whites and greens kept apart
• 1 clove Garlic, finely chopped
• 2½ tbsp Vegetable oil
• ¾ tsp Salt, divided
• 2 tsp Sugar, more if your tomatoes are sharp
• 3 tbsp Water
• 1 tbsp Ketchup (optional)
• 1 tsp Cornflour (cornstarch), mixed with 1 tbsp water, for a thicker sauce (optional)

Method

1. Beat the eggs with a pinch of the salt until no streaks of white remain.
2. Heat 1½ tbsp of the oil in a wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pour in the eggs, let them puff for a few seconds, then push them around gently until just set but still soft. Tip them onto a plate.
3. Add the rest of the oil, the spring onion whites and garlic and stir for 20 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir-fry for 2 min, until the skins start to wrinkle.
4. Add the remaining salt, the sugar, water and ketchup (if using). Cover and cook for 2–3 min, until the tomatoes collapse into a juicy sauce, pressing a few with your spatula.
5. If you like a thicker sauce, stir in the cornflour mix and let it bubble. Return the eggs, fold them through for 30 seconds so they soak up the sauce, scatter with the greens and serve over rice.

Tips

• Use the ripest tomatoes you can find; in winter, a spoon of ketchup brings back the sweetness.
• Undercook the eggs the first time; they finish cooking when they go back into the sauce.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Omnivore's Cookbook Made With Lau The Woks of Life