Tomato Fried Egg: a Traditional Chinese Dish

Here are the instructions to make Tomato Fried Egg. This is a traditional Chinese dish that is similar to scrambled eggs and catchup. The difference is that you will be making the catchup that goes with the egg.

This dish goes well with stir fries, white sticky rice, fried potatoes, or even a steak. Due to it's versatility, you can serve this dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Use your imagination to make the perfect meal.

This recipe will serve 2-3 people if serving as a dish, or one person if serving as the entire meal.

What you will need:

Vegetable Oil
4 Large eggs
1 Tomato- sliced into wedges
Sugar
A Frying Pan
A Spatula
A Stove

Difficulty: VERY EASY
Prep Time: 3-5 minutes
Cook time: 5-7 minutes

Step 1: Step 1: Prep Work

Cut the tomato into wedges. You want the fat part of the wedges to be about 1/2 inch thick. (See Picture 1)

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until the whites and the yolks make a smooth mixture. (See Picture 2)

Set out the rest of your ingredients and tools so that you can access them quickly.

Step 2: Step 2: Heat Oil

Pour about 2 table spoons of vegetable oil into the pan.

Turn on heat to Medium High

You know that the oil is at the proper temperature when you can flick a little bit of water in the oil, and it "spits" back.

CAUTION!
DO NOT put too much water into the pan or you could be burned. You only need enough water to wet the tip of your finger to check the temperature of the oil.

Flick the water into the oil. DO NOT put your finger into the oil or on the pan.

Step 3: Step 3: Cook Eggs

Pour your eggs into your pan.

Slowly scrape the bottom of the pan with your spatula. This will move the hardened egg and allow  the uncooked egg to cook.

Make sure to keep a continuous back and forth motion to keep the egg from burning. (See Picture 2)

When the eggs are slightly runny, you will be ready for the next step (See Picture 3)

Step 4: Step 4: Add Tomato Wedges and Sugar

Add your tomato wedges to your eggs.

While your eggs are cooking add two or three tablespoons of sugar. This will help the tomato to break down and make it sweet.

When the skin of the tomato has peeled off, and the insides have broken down, you are finished cooking. (See Picture 2)

Leave the tomato skins in the dish.

Do not worry if the dish is a little runny. A ripe tomato will add water to the dish. Just cook until it thickens up a bit. The tomato juice and sugar make up the "catchup".

Step 5: Step 5: Serve and Enjoy

Serve your dish while it is still hot!

You can either eat it "family style" where everybody picks a little off of the plate, or divide the dish up evenly in the American tradition.

Family style serving is the traditional Chinese way of serving, and makes eating the meal a more sociable experience.

If you have small children who tend to make messes, you may want to eat on individual plates.