McCormick Taylor | CELEBRATE DIVERSITY MONTH - TOMATO & EGG STIR FRY (2024)

FAQs

Where did tomato and egg stir fry come from? ›

Scrambled eggs have been eaten in China for thousands of years, but cooking them with tomatoes is a result of mixing Chinese and Western cuisine. In the 1920s and 1930s, stir-fried tomato and scrambled eggs was sold at restaurants.

Stir-fry onions first, then add hard vegetables such as carrot and broccoli. Quick-cooking vegetables, such as snow peas, leafy greens and bean sprouts, should be added towards the end of cooking. If using vegies that have a combination of both textures, such as gai laan, add the stems first and the leaves later.

The technique originated in China and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and the West. It is similar to sautéing in Western cooking technique.

Ideally, the tomatoes are bursting with August ripeness and the eggs are beaten with Shaoxing or rice wine. The sweetness in the mixture, sharpened by a spoonful of sugar, almost turns it into a treat. Nearly every Chinese family has its own version; some make it sweeter, some lean more savory.

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

Chinese cooks normally use soybean oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil, all of which have a high smoke point. Peanut oil usually has a pleasant nutty flavor and is suitable not only for stir-frying but also for deep-frying. Canola oil, which has a high smoke point but a neutral flavor, is also a good choice.

"Tomatoes should never go in a stir fry — not at all." Chef Natasha Ford adds that they're too mushy. "They would just make your stir fry soupy," she says. "If you really want to use them, keep them as fresh and uncooked as possible.

The nutrients of tomatoes and eggs are complementary in scrambled egg with tomato. They can not only provide the necessary nutrition for the human body, but also help people boost brain power and resist aging.

Stir-frying is a method of cooking where ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred. This technique originated in China but has spread into other parts of Asia and the West. To traditionally stir-fry, the most obvious tool you need is a good wok and spatula.

Historian Robert F. Moss found that from 1900-1911, there were 11 recipes for the dish published in U.S. newspapers. The articles were from the Northeastern United States and Midwestern United States. Moss believes that the dish originated from those areas, "perhaps with a link to Jewish immigrants".