I used to dislike this omelette a lot. Even till today, given a choice between salted egg and omelette with preserved radish, I would still reach out for the egg and leave the omelette untouched. It’s just a matter of preference, I guess.
My grandmother and mum loved to fry radish omelette very regularly when I was much younger. Growing up in a Teochew family means eating a lot of Teochew porridge with lots of salty (and sometimes really really salty) side dishes such as salted egg, fermented bean curd, steamed or fried white-spotted rabbit fish as well as radish omelette. As if it is not salty enough, we never fail to see a small plate of salted soy beans on the same table that’s meant as a dip for the fish. And I am not afraid to admit that the salted soy beans are actually my favourite of all – I love digging into them and drowning them in my bowl of porridge to give it some taste. That was how I learnt to grow up – the authentic (and unhealthy) Teochew way.
As for the Teochew radish omelette, this is actually the first time I’m trying to make it, after having avoided it for such a long time. Finally. But it still tastes too salty for my liking.
Ingredients:
- Oil: 1 tbsp + 3 tbsp + 3 tbsp
- Sweetened preserved radish: 100g, soaked 20min in water
- Egg: 3, well-beaten
- Coriander: 1 stalk, chopped
Method:
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok. Stir-fry preserved radish for 2min till fragrant.
- Add 3 tbsp oil in wok and turn to high heat.
- Add half of beaten egg into wok. Turn to low heat after 30 sec.
- Once omelette has set, flip to the other side. Leave to brown for 1min.
- Remove omelette. Repeat steps 2 to 4 for remaining egg.
- Serve hot with coriander and plain Teochew porridge.
Tricks:
- Make sure to buy the sweetened preserved radish, not the salty ones, as only the sweet ones are used to make an authentic Teochew radish omelette.
- My mum uses a lot of oil to make her omelette puff up like magic. Really a lot. I still wasn’t able to make myself do it, hence the rather skinny omelettes here as you can see. Give it a try, if you wish to give yourself a treat, and make sure to use a Chinese wok while you are at it!
Serving:
2 omelettes (4 persons)
