A take on Tamago Gohan aka “Egg Rice”

I was introduced to a version of this dish by my brother in law. This is a breakfast dish he has made for me a few times. When I was first served it, I thought it was unique to say the least. But I gave it a try, and was pleasantly surprised.

Typical Tamago Gohan is a Japanese dish where a raw egg is placed over hot rice, topped with seasonings and whipped with chop sticks to make a fluffy concoction that is eaten for breakfast. I am not a fan of using completely raw egg, so I use the name “Tamago Gohan” lightly. I precook my egg over easy, so I still get the runny yolk but I get completely cooked whites.

I also use a rice seasoning that is made up of sesame seeds, salt, sugar, and shredded Nori. I typically do not like seaweed, but in this unusual breakfast it fits perfectly and perfumes the rice with nuances of the sea. I would say this dish is for slightly more adventurous eaters, but if you look at the list of ingredients and like most of them, I would tell you to at least try this dish once.

My brother in law’s version had pickled ginger in it, but I swapped that out for Kimchi (a Korean side dish of fermented/pickled vegetables, typically napa cabbage). I made a homemade quick-Kimchi, and that recipe will be posted at a later date. You can use the pickled ginger, kimchi, both, or neither in your Tamago Gohan. I have tried this egg rice all ways and it is totally delicious!