Tomato and Egg Noodles

Ingredients

• Dried noodles or fresh noodles
• 1 tomato
• Salt
• Eggs
• Scallion
• Soy sauce, oyster sauce, or chicken essence
• White sugar (to balance the acidity of the tomato; omit if the tomato is not sour)
• Green pepper (not bird's eye chili)
• Sesame oil

Steps

1. ### PREPARING INGREDIENTS Preprocessing ingredients is very important. Whenever making a dish, prepare in advance so you won't be flustered during the process. Cooking should be a relaxing experience. As to why the back kitchen needs a separate 'Pantry/Sauces' station, this might be the reason... 1. Wash scallions and chop into葱花 (green onions/scallion slices). 2. Cut the tomato into chunks. If you aren't good at cutting, it's recommended to search online for a tutorial first~ 3. Cut the green pepper into diamond/diamond-shaped pieces. 4. Crack one raw egg into a small bowl and whisk well. If there is a slightly gamey smell, add 2g white vinegar to remove it.
2. ### PREPARING THE EGGS Heat the wok/stir-fry pan over high heat. Add 15~20g cooking oil. To make the eggs tender and silky, use more oil, leaving some base oil for stir-frying the tomatoes later. 1. When the oil temperature reaches 70% hot (palm held about 10cm away should feel hot), pour in the egg liquid and quickly scramble it. 2. Once the eggs are set and there is hardly any egg liquid left, pour them into a small bowl and set aside. Leave some base oil in the wok.
3. > (No photo of the eggs provided, using a web image to replace)
4. ### MAKING THE TOMATO EGG SAUCE First, add the white part of the scallions and minced garlic to the wok with the remaining base oil and stir-fry until fragrant. 1. Add the chopped tomatoes and green pepper. Fry until the tomatoes release some juices. 2. Quickly add 5g soy sauce and 2g white sugar. 3. Stir-fry for about ten seconds, then add a bowl of clear water (just enough to almost cover the tomatoes). 4. Bring to a boil, then add the stir-fried eggs. Add 5g oyster sauce or 2g chicken essence for flavor. 5. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Reduce the sauce until it looks like the picture (below), then add some green onions (the leftover green parts) and a splash of sesame oil (optional). The sauce is now ready.
5. ### BOILING NOODLES You don't need to wash the wok; just add 500ml of clear water. 1. Bring water to a boil, then add the noodles. Once the noodles are soft, add 100ml of water. 2. Boil again. If the noodles float, add another 100ml of water. 3. Check if the sides of the noodles look translucent. If so, they are cooked. 4. Drain the noodles into the noodle bowl with the sauce and mix well~