The first time
The first time I had tomato and egg gravy/saucy noodles was on my Beijing trip many years ago.
To be fair, I think all the noodle dishes I had in Beijing were top notch. The noodles were handmade, and therefore super chewy/bouncy. The sauces had a lot of flavour, albeit on the savoury side rather than sweet. Or maybe it was the cold snowy weather that made the noodles taste extra delicious.
I really want to share my favourite delicious tomato egg noodles. So here is an instant noodle version recipe!
Cook the eggs
I love adding a tiny splash of light soy sauce to the eggs after they’re cooked.
I do this for two reasons:
- It removes the eggy flavour: I know some people don’t like the taste of egg without any seasoning. Adding soy sauce adds savouriness and also removes the eggy flavour.
- Rather than adding salt, soy sauce adds another level of umami and it complements the sour and sweet tomato gravy sauce.
The tomato gravy
The tomato gravy should have a good balance of acidity and sweetness.
For that reason, I love to add sugar, ketchup and tomato paste to the tomato gravy.
Chicken bouillon powder also really amps up the flavours, and adds savouriness to the sauce.
Did you say...ketchup?
Yes, you heard that right.
Ketchup.
Ketchup is actually a key ingredient to the traditional Chinese tomato egg dish. Some families add it, while others don’t or use canned tomatoes instead.
I know it sounds weird to add ketchup, but trust me, it’s almost life changing. Adding ketchup really boosts the tomato flavours in the sauce.
The noodles
For this recipe, I used thick chewy instant udon noodles.
Thicker noodles pick up the tomato gravy really well. Because the sauce is super thick, thick noodles are a great vessel to soak up all that delicious tomatoey sauce.
If you have frozen udon noodles at home, you can cook that.
In my recipe, I use instant packet udon – which is more convenient, but it’s less fresh and chewy.
Gravy or soupy version?
If you prefer a bowl of comforting tomato and egg noodle soup, you can check out my other tomato egg noodle recipe here.
Tomato & Egg Gravy Instant Noodles
Ingredients
Method
- In a pan over medium heat, add cooking oil and scramble the eggs until just set.
- Drizzle with light soy sauce, then remove from heat and set aside.
- In the same pan, add all the tomato gravy ingredients. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes break down.
- In a small bowl, mix corn starch and water until smooth to create a slurry.
- Pour the corn starch slurry into the tomato mixture, stirring constantly until it thickens into a gravy. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cover the udon with boiling water and let it sit for 5–6 minutes, or until soft. If needed, microwave for 1 minute. Drain, leaving 1-2 tbsp hot water.
- Combine the udon noodles with the tomato gravy, scrambled eggs, and chopped scallions.
- Mix and enjoy!
