Chinese recipe

Tomato and egg stir-fry

Name: Tomato and egg stir-fry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Chinese cuisine
Ingredients: 500 g ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges; 4 large eggs, about 200 g eggs, beaten; 30 ml neutral cooking oil; 3 g fine salt; 8 g granulated sugar; 10 ml water for the eggs; 1 g ground white pepper; 45 ml water for simmering the tomatoes

Soft curds of egg meet juicy tomato wedges in a fast, comforting home-style stir-fry.

Home-style Chinese cooking

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 20 min
Servings: 2

Tomato and egg stir-fry with soft yellow curds, juicy tomato wedges, and sliced scallions in a shallow bowl — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Kaap bij SneeuwSource page · Original file · CC0 1.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

500 g
ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
4 large eggs, about 200 g
eggs, beaten
30 ml
neutral cooking oil
3 g
fine salt
8 g
granulated sugar
10 ml
water for the eggs
1 g
ground white pepper
45 ml
water for simmering the tomatoes

Method

01
Cut the tomatoes into 3 cm wedges. Beat the eggs with water, half the salt, and white pepper.
02
Heat a wok over medium-high heat with 15 ml oil. Pour in the eggs and stir slowly for 30–45 seconds until softly set; remove while still glossy.
03
Add the remaining oil and tomatoes. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until the skins begin to wrinkle and juices collect.
04
Season with the remaining salt and sugar, add 45 ml water, and cover for 1–2 minutes. Uncover and cook for 1 minute so the tomato juices become lightly syrupy.
05
Return the eggs and fold for 1 minute until hot throughout and the thickest curd reaches 74°C.
06
Turn off the heat and serve immediately while the eggs remain tender.

Practical notes

Tips

Take the eggs out while they still look slightly underdone; they finish when folded into the hot tomatoes.
Use tomatoes with both firm flesh and ripe juice for a sauce that is not watery.

Common mistakes

Stirring the eggs aggressively makes fine crumbs; use slow, broad sweeps.
Salting tomatoes too early pulls out excess water; season after they begin to soften.

Substitutions

Use cherry tomatoes cut in half; cook them for 2–3 minutes less.
Replace scallions with 10 g minced coriander stems for a different fresh aroma; the stems are an ingredient, not a garnish.

Storage

Refrigerate sealed for up to 2 days. Reheat once in a covered skillet until steaming; the eggs will become firmer.

Cultural context

Tomato and egg stir-fry is a widely loved Chinese home dish because its short ingredient list turns pantry staples into a complete meal with rice.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.