Japanese Omurice Omelet

Japanese omurice (pronounced omu-raisu) is a marvelous culinary mix of the East and the West. Kernels of tomato-sauce-covered rice sprinkled with chicken are typically stuffed into the Japanese-style omelet. Omurice is like the American hamburger - readily available, easy to make AND kid and budget friendly.

Packed with protein and vitamin C tomato goodness, omurice is a go-to meal for Japanese moms to feed kids at lunch and dinnertime.

(Photo Courtesy of 123rf.com)

Omurice made its debut into cosmopolitan cities like Tokyo and Osaka in the late 1920s. (Their Western-style cousins, curry rice and hayashi rice (a beef, tomatoes and wine combo) accompanied them.)

Hayashi Rice: A blend of beef, red wine and tomatoes are served with rice.
(Photo courtesy of 123rf.com)

But like the wannabe Top Chef TV stars of today, recipes were tweaked and adapted to local tastes. So, disappointment will ensue if omurice is ordered with the expectation of an omelet served at an American Sunday brunch. The egg crêpe is thinner and the middle bulges with fixings.

The details and how-tos of omurice-making are explained well on the popular YouTube program, Cooking with Dog. (While perfecting the art of Japanese cooking, Frances the dog oversees the instructor’s lesson.)

Japanese Omurice Omelet

Just like the American omelet, omurice can be tailor made to suit your tastes.My sweet friend and superb translator, Nisia, kindly agreed to share her vegetarian-style omurice recipe and photo. What creative twists will you add to omurice?

Ingredients:

1 garlic, finely minced
¼ onion, chopped
?200g (just under 1 cup) canned tomatoes ?
¼ cup green peas
2 cups steamed white rice
2 eggs, lightly beaten (optional - with a tablespoon or two of milk)
Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper & Ketchup

Directions:

In a pan coated with olive oil, fry the onions and garlic over low to medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes. Stir in rice and green peas. When piping hot, transfer to a bowl.

For the omelet, coat a clean pan with olive oil. Swirl in a thin layer of the egg mixture. Keep swirling the eggs over the surface of the pan. When slightly set, scoop the rice mixture into the middle of the eggs. Flip the sides of the egg over the rice. Gently slide the omelet onto the plate so the bottom of the pan is now on top.

Garnish with a squiggle of ketchup.

This omurice recipe was shared at the Foods that Make Us Smile Party hosted by my Foodie Friends Friday pals.

Wishing you the harmonies of tradition and invention.

The Ninja Baker

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

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