Rice Dishes

Omurice (Korean Omelette Rice)

Name: Omurice (Korean Omelette Rice)
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: eggs 4; cooked rice 2 bowls (400 g); onion 1/2; carrot 1/4; ham 80 g; ketchup 5 Tbsp; milk 2 Tbsp; cooking oil 3 Tbsp; salt a pinch; ground black pepper a pinch

Finely chop onion, carrot, and ham, stir-fry them, then add rice and ketchup and shape the fried rice into a mound on the plate. Cook the eggs one serving at a time, and when the top is almost set, slide the omelette over the rice and finish with ketchup.

Prep 8 min · Cook 12 min · Total 20 min · 2 servings · Medium

한국어로 보기 (Korean version)

Steps

1
Cut the onion, carrot, and ham into 0.5 cm dice. Crack the eggs into two bowls, 2 per bowl, and beat each with 1 Tbsp milk and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Straining the beaten eggs once removes clumps of white for a smoother surface.
2
Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat and stir-fry the onion and carrot for 3 minutes, then add the ham and stir-fry 1 minute more.
3
Add 3 Tbsp ketchup and stir-fry with the vegetables, then add the rice and stir-fry for 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Divide between two plates and shape each into a plump oval with a spoon.
Cooking the ketchup in the pan before the rice goes in mellows its tang and colors the rice evenly.
4
Wipe the pan, add 1 Tbsp oil, and heat over medium-low. Pour in one bowl of egg and stir a few times in big circles with chopsticks. Leave it for 1 minute until the top is almost set, then tilt the pan and slide the egg over the rice.
5
Cook the second bowl of egg the same way, cover the other mound, and drizzle ketchup on top.

Substitutions

Instead of	Use	How
ham	6 cocktail sausages	Slice into rounds and add at the same time as the ham.
carrot	1/4 Korean zucchini (aehobak)	Chop finely and stir-fry with the onion. Bell pepper also works well.
milk	water, or leave out	Milk makes the egg softer, but you can make it without.

Storing leftovers

Left under the egg, the omelette toughens and the rice absorbs its moisture and turns mushy. If you expect leftovers, set aside just the fried rice and refrigerate it for up to 1 day, or wrap it flat in single bowls and freeze for up to 2 weeks. To serve, reheat the rice in a pan with 1 Tbsp water until hot all the way through, then cook fresh egg to cover it.

Serve with

Yellow pickled radish (danmuji), cabbage salad, or a clear soybean sprout soup. The ketchup is rich, so something tangy and crunchy balances it.

Making more or less

For 4 servings, you can fry all the rice at once in a large pan, but cook the egg 2 at a time in four batches so each omelette stays thin and holds its shape.

Questions

My omelette keeps tearing. How do I stop it?

Stir 1/2 tsp potato starch into 1 tsp water and mix it into the eggs; the egg will hold together much better. A small, well-coated pan about 20 cm across also gives a thicker egg layer that is easier to move.

Is there an easy sauce for omurice?

Simmer 3 Tbsp ketchup, 2 Tbsp tonkatsu sauce, 4 Tbsp water, and 1/2 tsp sugar in a small pot over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until thick. Spoon it generously over the egg in place of plain ketchup.