Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, or fried tomatoes and eggs (西红柿炒鸡雚, xi hong shi chao ji dan) is a classic Chinese dish. It has become a necessity in almost every school and office cafeteria. This is one of the dishes that children are taught to prepare in China.
Every Chinese family has their own version of this dish. Some are sweeter, some are saltier and some can be slightly sour. The egg should be tender, coated in tomato juice and accentuated by the faint aroma of onion. As for the ingredients, we find only two key ingredients in each version – tomatoes and eggs. Scrambled eggs with tomatoes are a simple but delicious dish that is popular among Chinese national dishes.
It’s quick, easy, cheap and made with very simple, everyday ingredients.
You will be really surprised how it tastes. Spicy tomatoes mixed with rich scrambled eggs, a pinch of sugar, fragrant sesame oil and Shaoxing wine . All of this adds up to a very good (and vegetarian, gluten-free) dish that tastes great served with rice (or noodles).
Do you know that in Chinese the word “tomato” literally means “foreign eggplant” (番茄)? This unconventional name accurately captures the special perception of tomatoes in Chinese cuisine.
A bit of history
Tomatoes first arrived in China during the 16th and 17th centuries during the Ming Dynasty. They called them “red and round, cute and beautiful”, although at the same time as “forbidden fruit”. It wasn’t until the Qing Dynasty in the 19th century that tomatoes became a common part of Chinese cuisines, mostly those inspired by Western cuisine.
At the beginning of the 20th century, tomatoes changed their role as a mere Western food and entered Chinese households and restaurants. Tomatoes with scrambled eggs became very popular in the 1940s.
The colors of tomatoes and eggs – red and yellow – were fatefully connected. These are the same colors that adorn the flag of the People’s Republic of China. This accidental symbolism received unexpected attention not only from the government, but also from a cultural perspective. Even the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, The People’s Daily, did not hesitate to name this combination “the country’s national dish”.
And so, behind a seemingly ordinary dish like scrambled eggs with tomatoes, there is an amazing story. It’s a story about discovering the new, embracing what’s different, and even the political and cultural significance that tomatoes and eggs share in this harmony of flavors and history.
Preparation
If you don’t want to eat tomato skins, submerge uncut tomatoes in a pot of very hot water for 3-5 minutes, or blanch them in boiling water for a minute, then immediately cool them in cold water. With either method, the skin should peel off easily. Then cut them into small pieces. This will make the dish tastier, juicier and have a better texture.
Ideally, the more tomato juice, the better. A pinch of salt will help the tomatoes release more juice, making them tastier and easier to mix with scrambled eggs. Some versions of this dish even add water to make it more juicy.
Add a little water (or rice wine ) to raw eggs to make them fluffier and softer after cooking.
This is a quick stir-fry, so make sure you have everything ready and within reach before you turn on the stove.
Míchaná vejce s rajčaty (番茄炒鸡蛋)
Ingredients
- 2 střední rajčata
- 3 velká vejce
- 1 jarní cibulka
- ¼ lžičky soli
- 1 lžíce cukru
- 3 lžíce rostlinného oleje
- 1-2 lzíce rýžového vína Shaoxing volitelně
Instructions
- Vyberte dostatečně zralá rajčata (šťavnatá), ze kterých odstraňte stopky a nakrájejte je na malé kousky.
- Pomocí metličky rozšlehejte vejce s malou špetkou soli a pepře, dokud nevznikne malá vrstva jemných bublin. Vzduch uvnitř vaječné tekutiny způsobí, že vejce budou nadýchané a jemné. Do vajec můžete přidat trochu rýžového vína. Budou nadýchanější.
- Ve woku zahřejte olej, dokud nebude opravdu horký a nalijte do něj vaječnou tekutinu. Počkejte několik sekund, dokud směs neztuhne. Okamžitě stáhněte oheň a poté vejce rozdělte na menší kousky, vyjměte je z woku a dejte stranou.
- Do woku přidejte ještě trochu oleje, zvyšte teplotu a přidejte rajčata, případně i jarní cibulku. Smažte dokud rajčata nepustí šťávu a nezměknou. Poté přidejte 2 lžičky cukru a ½ lžičky soli.
- Přidejte vejce, která jste si dali stranou, krátce orestujte, promíchejte a ihned podávejte. Ozdobit můžete zbylou nakrájenou jarní cibulkou.
