RECIPE: Sesame Tamagoyaki (Japanese Egg Omelet)

Sweet, light, and juicy- this Japanese tamagoyaki recipe will teach you a new way to frying eggs!

Tamagoyaki is literally translated as egg (tamago) and grilled (yaki). It is a Japanese omelet that is different from western omelets because of its uniquely delicious seasoning and rectangular shape.

Most people are familiar with seeing tamagoyaki in Japanese-style bentos, where it is a favorite side dish to add protein! Tamagoyaki is the perfect side dish for any meal and is even eaten as a breakfast food.

The flavor of tamagoyaki comes from the ingredients that are important staples in many Japanese foods, like soy sauce, dashi powder, and sesame seeds. Dashi powder is traditionally made of either kombu (kelp) or dried fish. Each type of dashi gives a dish a particular flavor and the kombu or fish powder will provide a distinct taste. We recommend using our dashi powder, which combines both main types of dashi for a mellow, umami taste. Combined with soy sauce and sesame seeds, you will have a strong, flavorful foundation for the tamagoyaki!

You may be intimidated by the unique rolling method to make tamagoyaki but this recipe will walk you through each step carefully. The shape of tamagoyaki is achieved by slowly frying the egg mixture in layers while folding the omelet onto itself.

Remember to mix the egg and flavor ingredients thoroughly to achieve the thin layers needed to create this delicious texture. Another important step is to soak a paper towel in oil and use this to oil the pan. You may be tempted to pour oil directly into the pan but the paper towel method ensures that you do not use too much oil while being able to oil every corner of the pan.

Frying the tamagoyaki into its distinctive shape is lots of fun and is well worth the unique texture! Try making tamagoyaki for your next meal or picnic!

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• Sesame seeds (as desired)
• Pinch of salt
• Dash of soy sauce
• Pinch of dashi powder
• 2 tsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, rice bran, canola, etc)

Instructions:

1. Beat the eggs in a bowl and mix in the sesame, salt, soy sauce and dashi powder. 
2. Heat a small frying pan or tamagoyaki pan over medium heat (the larger the pad you use the thinner the omelet will be). Dip a power towel into the oil and use it to coat the pan in oil. 
3. When the pan is warm, pour ¼  to ⅓  of the egg mixture from step 1 into the pan to cover the entire pan. As the bottom of the egg starts to cook, start rolling the egg into a flat log shape towards you. 
4. Push the rolled omelet away from you to the top of the pan. Apply more oil to the pan using the paper towel. Add another ¼  to ⅓  of the egg mixture from step 1 into the pan and roll the egg omelet once more on top of this towards you. 
5. Repeat step 4 until the entire egg from step 1 has been used. 
6. Remove the omelet from the pan and hen let it sit for 5 minutes. Slice into bite-sized pieces and enjoy!

Note: For different flavors, you can substitute the sesame, salt, soy sauce and dashi for natto mixed with the soy sauce and karashi mustard that comes in the package or takana (pickled mustard greens)

Introduction courtesy of Kimberlee Laney

As a Japanese-Korean-American, my love for Japanese food first came from my grandmother's kitchen! Japanese food feels like home and I love being able to cook it anywhere in the world to connect with Japan in my own little way. I love diving deep into the layers of Japanese food and always marvel at the food diversity between prefectures. I'm currently eating my way through Tokyo and taking up photography with my Instagram account @capturingkim!