Tamagoyaki Bento

Ingredients

• •2 large eggs
• •1/2 tbsp sugar
• •1/2 tsp mirin
• •1 pinch salt
• •1/4 tsp soy sauce
• •vegetable oil, for frying
• •fresh parsley (for garnish)
• •1/2 small carrot, medium diced
• •1/4 cup fresh green beans
• •1 cup cooked sushi rice
• •sesame oil
• •1 clove garlic, diced small
• •2 oz baby spinach
• •salt and pepper, to taste

Steps

1. 1For Basic Tamagoyaki:
2. 2Mix together all of the tamagoyaki ingredients, except for the oil, until the egg yolk and white are amalgamated but not frothy.
3. 3Heat up the frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour in some oil and tilt the pan to spread it around. Take a small wad of paper towel and rub it around the pan to soak up any excess oil. Put the oil soaked wad on a small plate next to the stove.
4. 4Use cooking chopsticks or a fork to draw a little of the egg mixture along the bottom of the pan. If the egg cooks immediately, the pan is hot enough and ready to go. If the egg browns too fast, cool the pan down by putting the bottom of the pan on a moistened kitchen towel, and lower the heat a little.
5. 5Pour a thin layer of the egg mixture into the hot pan. Tilt the pan to spread it around the bottom. Pierce any large bubbles that form with the chopsticks or fork.
6. 6As soon as the egg starts to set, start rolling it to one side of the pan. Flip one end over with the chopsticks or fork and keep flipping until you have a skinny roll. If you can't roll the egg, you can just push it along to one side until you have a skinny little omelette.
7. 7Leaving the first roll at one side of the pan, rub the oil-soaked wad of paper towel firmly along the bottom of the pan. This adds just enough lubrication while also cleaning up any stray bits of egg.
8. 8Add a little more of the egg mixture to the pan, tilting the pan around to spread it. Life the first roll up a little so that the uncooked egg runs beneath it.
9. 9Puncture any large air bubbles that form, as before. As soon as this layer starts to set on top, roll it around the cooked egg roll to the opposite side of the pan. As before, if the egg is browning too fast, place the pan on a moistened towel for a few seconds.
10. 10Repeat the preceding three steps until the egg mixture is all used up. The thinner the layers, the more delicately textured the tamagoyaki will be. Try to do a minimum of 4-5 layers.
11. 11When the tamagoyaki is done, turn seam-side down into the pan and press briefly to seal it. Flip the egg out onto a sushi mat or paper towel.
12. 12Roll the sushi mat or towel around the tamagoyaki, forming a rectangular shape. Leave to cool.
13. 13Cut into even slices before packing. Garnish with parsley.
14. 14Don't despair if your tamagoyaki doesn't quite look perfect. It will still taste great! Leftovers can be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for a day or two.
15. 15----
16. 16For Vegetables:
17. 17Place veggies into a heat proof bowl with a large pinch of salt.
18. 18Add just enough boiling water to cover. Let stand for 5 minutes or until carrots have softened slightly.
19. 19Drain and cool before packing into bento. ----
20. 20For Rice:
21. 21Pack rice into bento box and sprinkle with sesame seeds or furikake.
22. 22----
23. 23For Garlic Sauteed Spinach:
24. 24Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30s-1m, until fragrant and infusing the oil.
25. 25Add the spinach and stir-fry rapidly. It will shrink down in mass in no time. When done, turn off heat, season with salt, pepper, and let cool.
26. 26Pack into a bento cup for serving.
27. 27-------
28. 28To instead prepare as a rice bowl (when you're eating it fresh rather than prepping a bento for later), just put the rice serving in a bowl. Fry the eggs, to a soft/gooey yolk, and put on top of rice. Dice the veggies after boiling, add to the spinach during cooking, and put the whole mixture on top of the eggs.
29. 29If you want a little more kick, add togarashi to the eggs, and/or drizzle some sriracha or other chili sauce on top of the bowl when done.