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Vegetarian, East Asian

Chinese tomato and egg stir fry with rice

Tomato and egg stir fry with rice is a Chinese family dish for 4 people, ready in 25 minutes, very easy to make, at €1.50 per serving. The trick is cooking the eggs separately, leaving them slightly runny, then folding them into the tomatoes once they've broken down into a sauce with sugar and soy sauce.

Tonight, it's the dish Chinese families make with their eyes closed, tomatoes and eggs, soft and a little sweet, over rice.

Chinese tomato and egg stir fry with rice
Total time
25 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€1.50
Calories per person
490 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

This is a dish that smells like everyday cooking, the kind you make without even thinking because you know it by heart. The tomatoes melt into a soft, slightly sweet sauce, the eggs stay soft in big curds, and the rice soaks up all that juice. Nothing complicated, just a balance between the tomato's tang and the sugar's roundness that makes all the difference.

It's the kind of dinner you throw together on a weeknight with no real plan, because tomatoes and eggs almost always sit in the fridge. Kids generally love this simple, mild combination, and adults find in it a comforting dish, the kind you never serve to guests but happily cook for yourself.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Ripe tomatoes 5
  • Scallions 2

Dairy

  • Eggs 6

Pantry

  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Eggs, Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the rice in a pot of salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    Keep it covered off the heat, it will stay warm while you stir fry the rest.

  2. Cut the tomatoes into large wedges and thinly slice the scallions. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.

    Score an X on the tomatoes and dunk them in boiling water for 30 seconds to peel them easily.

  3. Pour the eggs into a very hot skillet with half the oil and stir quickly until just set, then set them aside. 3 min

    Pull the eggs out while still a bit runny, they'll finish cooking later with the tomatoes.

  4. Stir fry the tomatoes in the remaining oil with the sugar and soy sauce until they release their juice and break down. 8 min

    Mash a few pieces with your spatula, the juice becomes the sauce for the rice.

  5. Add the eggs back in, stir gently, add the scallions and serve over rice. 2 min

    Don't stir too much, the big curds of egg are what make this dish special.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick tomatoes that are very ripe, almost too ripe, they'll release more juice and give you a richer sauce.
  • Use a wide skillet so the tomatoes cook in a single layer and reduce quickly instead of simmering in their own liquid.
  • Salt the eggs before beating them, not after, the salt spreads more evenly and they puff up more as they cook.

The variations

  • Swap the soy sauce for fish sauce for a saltier, more umami edge.
  • Add diced silken tofu at the same time as the eggs for a version richer in plant protein.
  • For a quick kid-friendly version, serve it straight over Chinese egg noodles instead of rice, they cook in 3 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A light miso soup
  • Quick pickled cucumbers
  • Hot green tea

Storage

This dish keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, ideally with the rice stored separately. It doesn't freeze well, the eggs turn rubbery. Reheat gently in a skillet or in the microwave at low power.

Questions about this dish

Why cook the eggs separately before adding them to the tomatoes?

Cooking them separately keeps the eggs in soft, big curds instead of letting them dissolve into threads in the sauce. You pull them out while still a bit runny, since they finish cooking once you fold them back in with the tomatoes.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

You can cook the rice and prep the tomatoes and scallions ahead, but it's best to cook the eggs and assemble the dish right before serving. The eggs lose their soft texture if they sit too long.

What kind of tomatoes work best for this recipe?

Ripe, juicy tomatoes give the best result, since they release more liquid and break down into a sauce more easily. Avoid firm or bland tomatoes, especially out of season.

Can you replace the sugar in this recipe?

The sugar isn't there to sweeten the dish, it just softens the tomato's natural acidity. You can swap it for a small amount of honey with a similar effect.

How long does it take to make a Chinese tomato and egg stir fry with rice?

Count 25 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a Chinese tomato and egg stir fry with rice?

About 490 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Chinese tomato and egg stir fry with rice cost?

About €1.50 per serving, or €6.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs, soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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