It was no surprise to see a big queue of tourists for Tamagoyaki on skewers called “Kushidama” at Tsukiji market in Tokyo. Tamagoyaki is fluffy and bouncy Japanese rolled egg which ranked in the list of the top 30 Japanese foods tourists come to Japan for. But you don’t have to go all the way to Japan to try it, it’s so quick and simple to make at home and only requires 3-4 ingredients.
What is Tamagoyaki?
Tamago means egg and yaki means fry in Japanese; but it is not just a fried egg. When Japanese people say tamagoyaki, it refers to thick rolled egg. Tamagoyaki is one of the staple Obento dish, and is also used in sushi as either nigiri or a filling for sushi hand rolls. I was surprised to find out that it is on skewers and it is one of the Japanese foods that tourist want to taste in Japan. There are about 4-5 shops in Tsukiji fish markets specialising in tamagoyaki and tourists were queueing to buy one. They call the rolled egg on a skewer “Kushi Dama”!
Atsuyaki tamago and Dashimaki Tamagao
There are two types of tamagoyaki rolled egg in Japanese cuisine. What’s the difference? Atsu-yaki-tamago is thick fried egg and Dashi-maki-tamago is rolled egg with dashi. Both Atsuyaki and Dashimaki tamago can be sweet or savoury. I prefer Atsuyaki tamago to be sweet and Dashimaki tamago to be savoury. Dashimaki tamago can take time and is more difficult than making atsuyaki tamago because it has dashi (Japanese stock) in it. It is also a little more difficult to roll than Atsuyaki tamago because it contains more liquid.
Sweet or savoury?
You can tailor the tamagoyaki to your taste palet. It is totally up to you. My children and I love sweet tamagoyaki but my father likes savoury flavoured tamagoyaki so we usually make two rolls to cater to everyones taste. We usually make atsuyaki tamago because it is easier to make by just adding sugar or savoury condiments such as salt or soy sauce.
Frying pan for making Tamagoyaki
There is special square or rectangle shaped frying pan for only rolling eggs, called “Tamagoyakiki”. Kanto region use a square one with a wooden lid and Kansai region (where I am from) use a rectangle shaped pan. A copper pan is recommended because of it’s great heat conduction. The cooking temperature is important to make fluffy and bouncy rolled eggs. A copper pan is great to heat up quickly and even after pouring the egg mixture in, it does not drop the temperature dramatically.
I upgraded my frying pan when I visited Kappabashi in Tokyo. I bought Nakamura Coppers Manufactory Copper made egg cooker 13 length (13 cm × 18 cm)
. Before you use it, first of all, you need to condition it with oil which creates oil film on the pan surface. Place the frying pan over low heat and fill 70% of the capacity with vegetable oil. When the small bubbles start to form, leave it for 5 minutes then turn the heat off. Leave it over night then drain the oil and wipe excess oil off with a kitchen paper. Now it is ready to use.
3 Tips to make fluffy and bouncy Japanese rolled egg Tamagoyaki
“But I don’t have copper and square or rectangle shaped frying pan for making Japanese rolled egg tamagoyaki!” No problem. Three tips from me to make your tamagoyaki fluffy and bouncy.
- Strain the egg mixture through a sieve a few times – this one extra step makes the egg mixture smooth and fine to make the rolled egg fluffy and bouncy.
- Make sure frying pan is preheated well and cook tamagoyaki over medium to high heat. Cooking tamagoyaki over low heat to avoid burn the tamagoyaki makes the egg deflate.
- Prepare oil soaked kitchen paper and wipe the pan with it every time the egg layer rolled. Egg mixture should be poured into the pan in 3-4 times.
A professional chef making Tamagoyaki at Tsukiji market in Tokyo
Here is my recipe for Tamagoyaki and If you liked it, please rate it and leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook , Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I can see your wonderful creations!
Tamagoyaki
Ingredients
Dashimaki tamagao
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp Shirodashi *1
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp olive oil
Atsumaki Tamago
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Crack the eggs into a medium size mixing bowl.
- Add seasoning (add shirodashi and water for dashimaki or add sugar, salt and water for atsumaki) and mix them all together gently to avoid too much bubble forming.
- Strain the egg mixture through a sieve a few times.
- Pour about 2tbsp oil (*not listed in the ingredients) in a small bowl and soak kitchen paper and set aside.
- Heat 2 tsp olive oil in the frying pan over medium heat till you can feel the heat when you hover your hand over the pan.
- Pour 1/3 of egg mixture into the pan (you should hear a sizzling sound).
- Break any bubbles that have formed with the edge of the chopsticks and scramble gently and slightly .
- When the surface is solidified a little, fold and push the egg to one end of the pan with chopsticks *2
- Wipe the empty side of the pan with oil-soaked kitchen paper and pour another 1/3 of the egg mixture into the empty space of the pan.
- Lift the folded egg up to let the egg mixture run under it.
- Fold and roll the egg from one side of the pan and wipe the empty space of the pan with the oil-soaked kitchen paper.
- Pour the last 1/3 of egg mixture and repeat fold and roll.
- Turn the heat off and wrap the rolled egg with thin kitchen towel.
- Roll the wrapped egg roll with a sushi mat to shape and rest to cool down.*3
- Once it is cool down slice it 2cm (7.9inch) thick and serve.
Notes
, add 1tsp mirin, 1tsp usukuchi soy sauce and a pinch of salt instead.
*2 Don't worry if the egg is half cooked, it will be cooked through with residual heat when the rolled egg resting in the sushi mat.
*3 place the sushi rolling mat on two chopsticks. It will make air flow underneath to avoid the egg become soggy with steam.
*4 Cooking process are basically same for both Atsuyaki and Dashimaki tamago. Only difference is adding different seasoning in step 2.
*5 The nutritional value is for per serve of Atsuyaki Tamago.
*6 Make Dashi from scratch here
Wow!! Straining the eggs is game changer! thank you it’s so good 🙂
This is the first time I came across a rolled egg recipe and thought “yes, I can do this with what I have on hand”. I used the sweet option and it turned out so well! It’s all thanks to your notes and easy to follow pictures – thank you so much!!
Hello, i was wondering what i could use if i dont hav3 a sushi mat? Im new to japanese cooking and dont have a lot to work with right now.
Hi Lindsay, it is ok to not roll with sushi mat. You can make Tamagoyaki without.
if you want all the tools including the pan you can get a nice set with rectangle pan, silicone spatula just wide enough for it, little plate, oil brush and pan scouring stone for $21 on amazon
We were just at the Tsujiki Market and watched this artist making tamogoyaki for the tourists. I do make this at home using a pan I found at our local Goodwill store, but his were so much fluffier that I’m determined to keep trying until I get it right.
Yeap Karen, Keep trying 😀
Hi Shihoko, thanks for your recipe! I’ve tried others but they didn’t really taste authentic–I think sieving and pressing made all the difference here. Plus the sugar amount was just right. I was beyond surprised that my attempt actually ended up tasting like storebought tamagoyaki, which I never thought would be possible to achieve at home! 😮 My family was full of praises and really enjoyed it with our dinner.
Hi Valerie, that’s wonderful! Thank you for letting me know 😀
Can I replace these ingredients mirin, usukuchi soy . W fish sauce n soysauce instead ?
Hi Weilin, you can adjust the taste with using different ingredients to your like though,If you are trying to make it like the one in Japan, fish sauce will make the dish completely different taste. Because mirin add sweetness.
Hai… I loved Japanese dishes… Especially for the breakfast.. Gohan with seaweed n black sesame on top… Miso soup, white radish pickles n some potato salad with mayo…i missed moments when i was at Maruei Organic b&b in Irago Tahara Japan….
I loved tamagoyaki and I managed to make it through the youtube lesson..
Konnichiwa Jahlelawati 😀 That is fantastic! I miss those breakfast too! You must had a great experience 😀
hai Shihoko… wishing me luck… My primary
students will cook japanese breakfast for their junior chef…
Good luck! your Japanese students will love your effort 😀
My son loved it! He thot that it was just a regular fried egg (Atsumki) and after he had a taste he said he loved it! Will try the Dashimaki next time. 🙂
Hi Krish, that’s fantastic!
Can you replace the sugar with honey? If so, what are the ratios?
Hi Kinzie yes you can but I have not made with honey yet so need to figure out the ratios
This recipe is amazing! I made Atsumaki Tamago nigiri sushi for my work party. I made nearly one-hundred pieces and everyone ate it all! My Obasan ( grandmother) is from Okinawa and was very proud to see how much I loved making this!
Hi Christian, oh wow 100!? You must be a professional now 😀 I am glad you made your Obaasan from Okinawa proud 😀 Keep cooking Japanese dishes!
Your instructions are very clear and easy to understand! I love how you add the smaller details with the star * because you have answered all my questions and even gave different options if we don’t have something! I love it! Keep making more recepies! ❤️
Thank you Shan 😀 and you are welcome 😀
Now I need to go find the perfect pan!!!
Wonder if I can find one in WA???
I love these so am eager to make it at hime. I am a savoury girl myself, but my kids are both fans of the sweet ones!
Hi Claire, you can use any pan you have 😀 If you don’t have rectangular shape pan, use round pan and before you roll, fold and tack the both sides in and then roll.
Claire, depending on where you are in WA I’d suggest maybe taking a look at Uwajimaya. There’s one Bellevue as well at the one in downtown Seattle. Also H Mart in Lynnwood may have them. Good luck!
Thank you Jean for the information re Japanese grocery stores.
Great recipe.
TeChef – Tamagoyaki Japanese Omelette Pan/Egg Pan, Coated with Dupont Teflon Select – Colour Collection/Non-stick Coating (PFOA Free)
Thank you for the information 😀
This is so great! Thank you for sharing.
I am looking through pictures and my eggs are less yellow, more brown. I am assuming from the soy sauce.
Hi Jennifer, I think it is. If you don’t like browny colour, you can use “Usukuchi soy sauce” which is lighter colour soy sauce 😀
This looks amazing! I love Japanese cuisine but have never tried this. Now I definitely want to! (Love that cool square pan too) Thanks for sharing how to make tamagoyaki with so many great pictures.
You are welccome Thank you Emilie 😀
The Tamagoyaki looks delicious and would be an awesome change to our brunch menu !
Hi Linda, will be a great brunch 😀
This recipe is amazing! The instructions are perfect so easy to follow. Very yummy!
Thank you Marjory 😀
It’s awesome to be able to make this at home! I’ve always wanted to go to Japan, but now at least I can have a little taste for it without leaving my house 🙂
Thank you for your comment Sues 😀
I made this without the pan and without the mat. I just rolled it with a Saran wrapped paper towel to rest. My 7-year-old son absolutely loved it over chunks of rice. Thank you!
Hi Mallory That is fantastic 😀 and great idea!