Eggs with Tomatoes

The tomato is native of South America and was not introduced into China until the end of the last century. Ideally you should use green, hard tomatoes for this recipe, but if you do not grow your own or are unable to find them on the market, then choose the most under-ripe and hard ones you can find.

1/2 lb (225 g) tomatoes
4 eggs
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp oil

Cut the tomatoes into slices. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and about a third of the finely chopped spring onions.

Heat about half the oil in a hot wok or large frying pan and lightly scramble the eggs over a moderate heat until set but not too hard. Remove from pan. Heat the remaining oil over a high heat until smoking, and add the rest of the finely chopped spring onions and tomatoes. Add the salt and stir a few times, then add the scrambled eggs. Continue stirring for about ½ minute. Serve hot.

Other vegetables such as cucumber, green peppers or mange-touts peas can be substituted for the tomatoes.

© Deh-Ta Hsiung and reproduced with his kind permission.