A sweet, square-shaped omelette served at room temperature rather than hot, tamagoyaki is a Japanese lunchbox favourite, as well as being a popular filling for Sushi rolls.
Its a great picnic treat – pack it up in a bento box (Japanese lunchbox) for festivals such as Hanami (flower viewing), Momijigari (autumn viewing) and Tsukimi, (moon viewing).
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- Sugar (1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon depending on how sweet a tooth you have)
- 1 tablespoons water)
- 1 teaspoon mirin
(or sherry)
- 1 teaspoon Japanese soy sauce (or light soy sauce)
- Pinch salt
- Vegetable or sunflower oil for cooking
- Optional sesame seeds for topping
- Extra mirin
Preparation
- Beat all the ingredients (except oil) together with a fork.
- Heat a little oil in a heavy frying pan* over a medium heat, it really just wants to be brushed over the bottom and sides of the pan and not in a pool.
*If you want to be a` perfectionist then you can buy a special square pan so as to have more solid ends to your Tamagoyaki which makes slicing neater. - Add some of the egg mix to the pan (about 2-3 tablespoons) and tilt it around so it spreads out. Cook gently until its nearly set on top. Using a spatula (preferably wooden) roll up the egg pancake to one side of the pan.
- Brush the pan with more oil if necessary. Add the same amount of egg mix again letting it run right up to the edges of the cooked omelette and even underneath it. When this second layer of omelette is nearly set then roll up the whole of the omelette to the other side of the pan.
- Keep on in this way until all the egg mix has gone.
- Allow to cool to room temperature and slice. You can serve the Tamagoyaki immediately sprinkled with a few sesame seeds and with an accompaniment of 50% soy sauce, 50% mirin and a little sugar as a dipping sauce. Or it can also be used use as a filling for sushi rolls. (Sushi maki).
Variations
You can add various ingredients to your Tamagoyaki such as salmon, lightly fried Shitake Musrooms or spring onions or wilted spinach.
Drink
Serve warm Sake out of a beautiful Sake set
Make a night of it
All you need is a little Japanese music. For an fun and easy Japanese evening why not get a Sushi kit and get everyone having a go at making their own?Take a look at some of our Japanese festivals (Matsuri), go to town and theme anything from the wildest party or most select dinner party around one of these colourful celebrations.
Other Japanese recipes
Sekihan Rice
Yakitori Chicken / Teryaki Salmon
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Go JapaneseWe have found some lovely Japanese Sushi and Sake sets and even some kits to make your own Sushi too! |
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Floating LanternsThese floating lanterns are used in China and Japan to send the spirits of visiting ancestors off back to the Underworld at festivals such as the Hungry Ghost festival in China and Obon in Japan. They beautifully light up any waterway for short while. |
