Upgrade Basic Scrambled Eggs By Cooking Them As A Chinese-Style Stir-Fry

Bored of the same ol' scrambled eggs, huh? We have the perfect fix to upgrade the breakfast staple — Chinese-style tomato egg stir-fry. It's made with simple ingredients that you most likely already have in your kitchen, like tomatoes and scallions, along with flavor boosters like salt, pepper, and sugar. Chinese-style tomato egg stir-fry is a popular dish in its home court. Each household has different interpretations, but one thing remains true: It evokes a sense of nostalgia for many Chinese people. Some even travel far and wide to find the best one, but some go back to their roots and do it just like their mom did.

The balance among contrasting flavors, including savory, sweet, and acidic, is what makes the dish interesting. It's also almost effortless to prepare, and you can make a nice meal out of it in just 10 minutes. You'd want to cook the eggs first, set them aside, and then cook the tomatoes. Letting the tomatoes stay in the wok for longer periods isn't recommended, as it can degrade their fresh flavors that you'd need for the dish. This is also the time you'd want to introduce the scallions, as they also have the tendency to lose their potency when overcooked. This is why it's one of the worst stir-fry mistakes to introduce ingredients out of order. Toss in sugar, salt, and pepper if you fancy, and then put the eggs back in and just mix everything together. The tomatoes turning more tender is a sign that your dish is ready to be enjoyed.

While Chinese cuisine doesn't really show a preference for a particular tomato variety, you can do your own version to make your own spin more to your liking. Even when they look the same, there are differences between tomato varieties. For something more saucy, heirloom tomatoes are one of your best bets, while vine tomatoes can be easy to find in grocery aisles. That said, the flavor of vine tomatoes tends to fall on the bitter end, but you can save the dish by adding a bit of sugar. Tomatoes that were harvested at peak ripeness can give you a sweeter, more succulent finish. 

The amount of tomatoes you introduce depends on what you want the outcome to be. If you want it more sauce-heavy, you'd want to put more of them than eggs. Otherwise, four medium-sized tomatoes can be enough for four eggs for a more balanced serving. You can also add Shaoxing wine and sesame oil — both of which are Chinese cuisine staples, delivering added depth and complexity without all the fuss. If you need a protein fix, shrimp and steamed fish are your best friends that maintain the Chinese essence of your dish. Char siu (barbecued pork) is another great idea if you want something bolder. The tomato egg stir-fry is best served with steaming white rice, though we don't see why stir-fried vegetables wouldn't work.