Tamago Kake Gohan (卵かけご飯)

I love sharing recipes on my blog that aren't even really recipes, but more of an introduction to an idea. This dish can barely be called a recipe, but definitely will introduce you to a fabulous was to enjoy eggs and rice that is truly a snap to prepare.

Tamago Kake Gohan (卵かけご飯) literally means "egg over rice" and it may look strange to a western audience, but it is actually very popular in Japan for breakfast. The raw egg gets mixed into the steaming hot rice, emulsifying the egg into a rich creamy sauce that is amazing with the hot rice.

The best thing about tamago kake gohan (or TKG for short) is that there are limitless variations to employ. I think I could do a tamago kake gohan recipe every day this month and still just be getting started on all the tasty varieties. This classic version has shoyu and green onions, but feel free to try adding some furikake, wasabi, or even some canned tuna. Later next month I have a garlic and curry version to share with you!

The egg white and shoyu will quickly soak in

Since this uses raw eggs, you need to be able to trust your egg source. After all, the heat from the rice does not cook it enough to kill anything creepy. In Japan, they even have two expiration dates on their egg cartons: safe to eat raw, and the usual best-by date. They take their egg safety very seriously and their chickens are raised in a much different environment than America which cuts down on their risk of Salmonella.

If you don't have parents with heirloom breed chickens in their backyard whose husbandry you trust, there are pasteurized eggs available. However, if the idea of raw egg still makes you queasy, consider how many times you have eaten raw cookie dough without a second thought to the origin of the eggs, or the last time you ordered sunny-side up at your local greasy spoon. Some people find that starting with just the yolk is a little less intimidating, however if you try it that way and like it, I urge you to try it with the whole egg because the white of the egg really helps make the sauce creamy.

After mixing: delicious creamy egg sauce!

I like the ratio of egg to rice to be high, so I often make this with only a half cup of rice to egg, however one cup of rice per egg is probably more the norm. All of these measurements below are approximate, feel free to adjust after tasting to your personal taste. This recipe is easily doubled for two people.

Tamago Kake Gohan (卵かけご飯)

1/2- 1 cup of rice
1 tbs shoyu
1 tbs chopped green onions (doesn't matter green or white part)
1 raw egg

Place the rice in a bowl and make a small impression for your egg. Crack your egg into the well you made in the rice, and pour the shoyu over the top. Sprinkle the green onion over the top. To eat: break the yolk and mix well with your chopsticks before eating.

Alternatively, you can mix the shoyu and egg in a small bowl and beat well before pouring over the egg. I personally hate washing dishes, so I usually never use this method because it uses an extra bowl, unless I'm feeling sleepy and clumsy and don't want to risk getting eggshell in my rice.

See Also:
Sake Ochazuke
Shoyu Tamago
Una-Tama Don