Tamagoyaki, or dashimaki, is Japanese rolled omelette. It's also known as a Japanese-style egg roll. Tamagoyaki is often served for Japanese-style breakfast. Also, it's one of the most popular dishes in Japanese bento lunch boxes. There are many types of tamagoyaki. Some are sweet and some are salty. Fillings can also be added in tamagoyaki to make it colorful.
Tamagoyaki is usually cooked in a makiyakinabe (= rectangular omelette pan). It's OK to use a regular frying pan if a rectangular omelet pan is not available. In that case, shape rolled omelet into a rectangle, using a bamboo mat. As sugar is added in when making tamagoyaki, it tends to get burned easily, thus do watch the heat carefully.
Makes 2 tamagoyaki and serves 4
Ingredients:
Eggs, ~60g size, 4 units
Dashi stock, 3 tbsp
Sugar, 1½ - 2 tbsp, depends on sweetness liking
Cooking oil, for frying
Method:
1. Add sugar to dashi stock.
2. Beat egg in separate bowl. Add in sugar-dashi mixture, and whisk well into eggs till all sugar dissolves.
3. Heat makiyakinabe over medium heat and oil pan slightly using paper towel presoaked with cooking oil (preferred method), or with brush. There should not be too much oil in pan.
4. Before start cooking, first test pan temperature by adding just 1 drop of egg mixture into pan. If it cooks easily without sticking to pan, then temperature of pan is just right to start cooking process.
5. Pour 1 ladle of egg mixture into the pan and spread over the surface.
6. Cook it until half done when egg no longer runny, bursting any bubble formed in process with chopsticks, use chopsticks to roll the egg toward the bottom side where handle is. Move the rolled egg to the top side.
7. Oil the empty part of the pan and pour another scoop of egg mixture in the space below the omelette. Repeat step 5-7, till all egg mixture for 1 tamagoyaki is used up.
8. The tamagoyaki will become thicker with each round of cooking process. If encountered problem folding using chopsticks, may use frying spatula to help folding. Cook the omelette until done.
7. If using regular frying pan, shape tamagoyaki on bamboo mat.
Serving:
1. When tamagoyaki has cooled down, cut it into ½ - 1 inch thick pieces. The cut thickness is dependant on how it is to be served.
2. Tamagoyaki can be eaten on its own, or used in other dishes as illustrated below:
