AI-generated image
Ji dan geng
Steamed egg custard
Jīdàn gēng (鸡蛋羹): silky Chinese steamed egg custard with a drizzle of soy and sesame oil
Ji dan geng is the first "real food" many Chinese children remember: a bowl of steamed egg so smooth it shivers, made by grandmothers from Shanghai to Chengdu for a toddler's lunch, a sick day or a quick side at dinner, and eaten with a spoon over rice. Eggs are beaten with warm water, steamed gently, then finished with a few drops of soy and sesame oil and some spring onion. Eggs are an allergen, and for toddlers under one, leave out the soy. A bowl is about 110 kcal. The most common mistake is using cold water and a fierce heat, which gives a pitted, spongy custard; use warm water and a gentle steam. Chef's tip: cover the bowl with a plate or cling film while it steams, so no condensation drips onto the surface and the top stays like glass.
- Total time
- 17 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 2 eggslarge
- ¾ cup warm waterabout 40 °C, which is 1½ times the volume of the eggs
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 spring onionvery finely sliced
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 2: Pour through a fine sieve into a shallow heatproof bowl. Skim off any bubbles with a spoon. Cover the bowl with a heatproof plate or cling film.
2 minStep 3: Steam over gently simmering water on a medium-low heat for 10–12 minutes, until the custard is set: it should wobble in one piece when you shake the bowl and a toothpick in the centre should come out clean.
12 minStep 4: Drizzle with 1 tsp light soy sauce and ½ tsp toasted sesame oil, scatter with 1 spring onion and serve straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 1 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ji dan geng take?
- About 17 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of light soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
TashmijabiMashed potatoes with stretchy cheese
Potatoes grow well in the cold valleys of Svaneti, and tashmijabi is how families around Mestia turn them into a feast dish: they are mashed hot, then beaten with handfuls of young sulguni until the purée becomes glossy and stretches from the spoon in long strands. It is served with grilled meat, kubdari or simply with pickles and Svan salt. A common mistake is letting the potatoes cool before adding the cheese; they must be piping hot for the cheese to melt and stretch. Chef's tip: keep the pan on a low heat while you beat, and use a firm wooden spoon. Most sulguni uses animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one or use mozzarella.
Georgian
Jamaican callalooSteamed callaloo greens
In Jamaica, callaloo means the leaves and tender stems of a type of amaranth, sold in big bundles in every market from Coronation Market in Kingston to Santa Cruz in St Elizabeth. It's steamed down with onion, tomato, garlic and thyme into soft, savoury greens with a mild mineral sweetness, and eaten at breakfast with fried dumplings, boiled green bananas or hard dough bread, or as a side at dinner. Spinach or Swiss chard can stand in if you can't find callaloo. Chef's tip: peel the fibrous skin from the thicker stems with a small knife and slice the stems and leaves finely across, about 1 cm wide. That's how Jamaican cooks get callaloo that's tender all the way through rather than stringy.
Jamaican
Char siuHoney roast pork
Hanging in long glossy strips in the windows of Guangzhou's siu mei shops, char siu is the roast pork Cantonese families pick up on the way home to put on rice, noodles or into steamed buns. The outside is lacquered, sweet and a little charred at the edges; the inside stays juicy, savoury and faintly scented with five-spice. Shoulder (pork butt) is the cut to use, because its marbling keeps the strips moist through a hot oven. Marinate it overnight in the fridge, roast it the next day and eat it warm with steamed rice and blanched greens, or cold in fried rice and noodle soups. Chef's tip: save the honey for the last ten minutes; brushed on at the start it burns black long before the pork is cooked.