Chinese Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes

This recipe is from our book, Perfectly Good Food, which is why it’s so nicely formatted and has pretty specific instructions and ingredients compared to the other recipes on this site. It’s lovely to have a copyeditor! But you can of course still feel free to go off on your own path - this is one of those dishes that’s got as many ways to make it as there are cooks in the kitchen. I probably make it differently every time myself. In particular, I might be lazy and keep everything in the same pan and push things to the side, or mix everything up in a way that’s super messy (but still delicious!). But if you’ve never made it before (or haven’t made it in ages), you can also just follow the exact instructions and it’ll work too. Enjoy!

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This classic Chinese stir-fry reminds us of childhood, when we found this dish immensely comforting but were also slightly weirded out by eating stir-fried tomatoes with sugar. (And in Irene’s opinion, for a classic version, you’ll need a lot more sugar than you think.) As adults, we find this to be an incredibly useful dish to have in your toolbox of quick-cooking vegetable + protein dinners, especially if you have cooked rice or noodles at hand. Like most Chinese-style stir-fries, this dish demands that you have all your ingredients ready to go once you turn on the heat. The eggs cook in seconds, as do the aromatics, and the tomatoes only take a few minutes more. The whole thing requires a bit of focus and possibly a few moments of juggling, but it also means that dinner can be on the table in mere moments—and that’s worth all the scrambling (ha!).

Serves 4, ideally with some rice on the side

6 eggs

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more if needed

1 garlic clove, minced

½-inch piece fresh ginger, minced

2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks, or 1 (14-ounce) can  tomatoes, crushed if whole

1 teaspoon rice vinegar or white vinegar

Sugar

Small pinch ground white pepper, if you have it

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Lightly beat the eggs in a mixing bowl with the sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet or wok, ideally nonstick, over high heat. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the eggs and cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, until just barely set, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Return the cooked eggs to the mixing bowl.

Add another small splash of oil to the pan if it looks dry, then add the garlic and ginger. Sauté until fragrant—this will also just take seconds—then add the tomatoes and any juices. Stir in the vinegar and sprinkle with a big pinch of sugar and another pinch of salt, plus white pepper if you have it. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and there’s a little bit of a sauce, 2 to 4 minutes. If there’s not enough sauce, loosen it with a teaspoon of water or two. Return the eggs to the pan and toss to coat, then stir in the scallions. Season to taste before serving.