Original: English

Scrambled Eggs with Chinese Chives

A recipe for 'Nira Tama' (Scrambled Eggs with Chinese Chives) featuring fluffy eggs and a savory-sweet sauce. Instead of the usual gooey texture, the eggs are intentionally cooked thoroughly to achieve a fluffy consistency that maintains its original flavor even when coated with the sauce. Try this dish, packed with tips for success, that will have you unable to stop eating with rice!

📖Cooking Basics

dry（tantanmen）

Steps

In a bowl, combine Shiro Dashi (White Soy Sauce Base) 2 tsp, Soy Sauce 2 tsp, Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) 1 tbsp, Sugar 1 tsp, and Water 100ml. Mix lightly to create the sauce for the topping.
🕒 00:25
In a separate container, mix Potato Starch 1 tsp with Water 1 tsp to create a 'watery starch mixture for eggs'.
🕒 01:01
In yet another container, mix Potato Starch 1.5 tsp with Water 1 tbsp to create a 'watery starch mixture for the sauce'.
🕒 01:07
Crack 4 eggs into a bowl, add 1 pinch of salt and 1 pinch of sugar, and whisk.
🕒 01:29
Add the prepared 'watery starch mixture for eggs' to the egg mixture and stir. [This is the secret!] Adding starch prevents the eggs from becoming dry even when cooked thoroughly, resulting in a fluffy texture.
🕒 01:55
Wash the Chinese chives, as dirt can accumulate at the roots. If they appear wilted, soak them in water for 5-10 minutes to rehydrate them.
🕒 02:35
Pat the washed Chinese chives dry. Cut off the tough ends about 3cm from the root, and then chop the leafy parts into about 5cm sections.
🕒 02:53
Place the chopped Chinese chives in a separate bowl from the eggs.
🕒 03:17
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a generous amount of oil and get it very hot. [This is the secret!] The oil must be very hot for the eggs to turn out fluffy. Test by dropping a small amount of egg into the oil; it should immediately start cooking.
🕒 03:28
Once the oil is very hot, pour in the egg mixture.
🕒 04:00
Gently mix the eggs with the hot oil, gathering the cooked egg from the edges towards the center.
🕒 04:13
Once the egg is firm and no longer moves on the surface, turn off the heat.
🕒 04:25
Transfer the cooked eggs to the bowl they were in before.
🕒 04:44
Return the frying pan to low-medium heat. Add a small amount of oil and stir-fry the Chinese chives briefly to coat them in oil.
🕒 04:48
Add the sauce mixture to the stir-fried Chinese chives and bring to a vigorous boil to cook off the alcohol.
🕒 05:01
Once it boils through to the center, turn off the heat. [This is the secret!] Adding the watery starch mixture after turning off the heat helps prevent lumps and makes it easier to achieve the right consistency.
🕒 05:14
Stir the prepared 'watery starch mixture for the sauce' well, then add it to the sauce while stirring to thicken.
🕒 05:19
Break apart the fluffy cooked eggs you set aside into bite-sized pieces.
🕒 05:52
Return the pan to low-medium heat and bring the sauce to a vigorous boil again to stabilize its thickened consistency.
🕒 06:06
Once boiling, turn off the heat, return the broken-up eggs to the pan, and gently toss them in the sauce using residual heat. [This is the secret!] Only toss the eggs briefly at the end to preserve their fluffy texture and flavor.
🕒 06:13
Plate and serve. Enjoy!
🕒 06:42