So here we are with another excellent example of Chinese home-cooked comfort food. Called stir-fried eggs and tomatoes (西红柿炒蛋), this is an easy and simple dish that tastes wholesome and nourishing. It’s not a staple of Chinese restaurants in America, but it’s certainly a staple of Chinese homes around the world.

Since it’s so popular, there are probably about a billion different ways to prepare it. I like making sure that the tomatoes don’t turn into mush, so I don’t cook them for very long. I also like including garlic for depth of flavor and chili oil for some minimal amount of heat.

Stir-fried eggs with tomatoes

INGREDIENTS and PREP:

1. 5 large eggs (warmed to room temperature), 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine; all stirred together in a bowl
2. 2 cloves garlic, minced
3. 2 tomatoes (cut into wedges) and 3 scallions (sliced diagonally)
4. 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp chili oil

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat 2 Tbsp peanut oil in your wok until it’s barely smoking. Then add the garlic and stir-fry quickly for about 15 seconds, just until fragrant. Then add the egg mixture (#1). Let it cook in the wok until it starts to get a skin on the bottom, maybe 30 seconds. Then slowly stir-fry, scraping up from the bottom. As soon as the eggs aren’t runny anymore, turn them into a bowl and set aside.
• Add #3 (tomatoes and scallions) to the wok and stir fry for about 30 seconds, just until the tomatoes are warm but before they start to fall apart.
• Add back the eggs and stir until everything is incorporated and warm. Drizzle with the oils (#4), stir once, and serve.

Variations: Garnish with sliced fresh chiles (red or green or both), or garnish with cilantro. Another alternative would be to throw a handful of chopped fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, methi leaves, or shiso) into the wok with the tomatoes.