This tonkatsu fried rice with onsen eggs recipe combines a few of the things we love – fried rice, eggs and tonkatsu, the succulent Japanese pork cutlet breaded in panko crumbs and deep-fried. Like the original Chinese fried rice it’s the delicious result of leftovers and experimentation.
Like the original Chinese fried rice that was invented to use leftover rice, this tonkatsu fried rice with onsen eggs recipe is the result of combining leftovers – we had a couple of pieces of tonkatsu, the deep-fried Japanese breaded pork cutlets, and some steamed rice in the fridge – and a little experimentation. I’ve been making onsen eggs.
My tonkatsu fried rice with onsen eggs was so delicious, however, that Lara insisted I share the recipe here and it’s since become a dish that we now plan for… “Can you make some tonkatsu and rice? And make extra so you can do that tonkatsu fried rice with onsen eggs!” my wife has already asked this week.
As you know, we’re big fried rice lovers here. If you haven’t read Lara’s post ‘Make Rice Not War, A Celebration of Rice Diversity to Inspire Curiosity and Connection’ do take a look at that. Lara is on a mission to celebrate the countless ways that rice dishes are cooked right around the world – in homes, on the streets, in restaurants, and in communities, in their countries of origin and adoption, and in diasporas around the world.
In Lara’s “pursuit of peace, (rice) love and understanding” she reached out to some 50 rice lovers from around the globe – Michelin starred chefs, street food cooks, cooking school instructors, food writers, culinary guides, cookbook authors, supper club hosts, you name it – whom she asked to share their favourite rice dishes and rice cooking tips. She heard back from 65 rice experts who nominated 66 rice dishes.
It’s an inspiring compilation of rice dishes, anecdotes, memories, histories, and tips – so inspiring I plan to start making some of them! If you do the same, do share the results on social media with us, tag us in, and use the hash tag #MakeRiceNotWar. In the meantime, here’s my tonkatsu fried rice with onsen eggs recipe.
Tonkatsu Fried Rice with Onsen Eggs Recipe for a Leftovers Dish You’ll Want to Plan Ahead
This tonkatsu fried rice with onsen eggs recipe came about because we had leftover tonkatsu sitting in the fridge – only because we had tonkatsu burgers the night before. There’s always some leftover steamed jasmine rice in the fridge too, because we live in Southeast Asia, where everyone has leftover rice in the fridge.
I’ve also been working on an onsen egg recipe where I’ve been leaving the cooked eggs in the fridge to firm up for a day or two. This is for Onsen tamago, eggs cooked in hot spring water which results in custard-like whites and firm, but rich egg yolks. It’s served for breakfast with a sauce made from bonito stock, mirin, soy sauce and sprinkled with finely chopped spring onions.
Plus I’ve been recipe testing chicken fried rice dish made with spicy fried chicken – not just any spicy chicken but the fried hot chicken based on a Belle’s Hot Chicken recipe. More on that fried rice recipe soon!
While fried rice has long been a way to use up leftovers in the fridge, particularly in the vegetable draw, and it’s just so versatile – sometimes we use peas, other times beans; one night it’s bacon, the next char siu pork – this tonkatsu fried rice with onsen eggs recipe has quickly become a recipe for which we create leftovers just so we can make it.
As with most classic fried rice recipes, I use carrots and peas, garlic and shallots, but I skip the ginger, and add round green cabbage instead. The reason is that we always have cabbage salad or slaw with our tonkatsu as it refreshes the palate between bites.
The biggest change to the classic fried rice recipe is the use of tonkatsu sauce instead of the traditional blend of light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. I decided that why not go all in on the tonkatsu theme and use the homemade tonkatsu sauce, which is a blend of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, light soy sauce, mirin, sugar, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder.
If you make fried rice often and don’t yet have a carbon steel wok, it should be your next investment. Once seasoned, the wok heats fast and has great heat distribution, so when it’s on really high you get that lovely smoky aroma in your final dish.
You’ll need this tonkatsu recipe to make your tonkatsu and tonkatsu sauce first.
If you like this tonkatsu fried rice with onsen eggs recipe, also try our Chinese special fried rice, our classic Cambodian fried rice (bai cha) and our Cambodian shrimp fried rice with shrimp paste (bai cha kapi).
Tonkatsu Fried Rice Recipe with Onsen Eggs
Equipment
- Carbon Steel Wok
Ingredients
- 160 g pork tonkatsu chopped into 1.5 cm squares
- 3 tbsp tonkatsu sauce
- 2 onsen eggs
- 1 tbsp soy sauce light
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 60 g carrot peeled, finely chopped
- 60 g peas
- 60 g round cabbage shredded
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 20 g shallots chopped finely
- 2 cups day old jasmine rice separated with no clumps
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds toasted
- 2 tbsp spring onions chopped finely
Instructions
- Heat a wok until hot and add a little of the vegetable oil.
- Add the eggs and make an omelette. Remove from the wok just before fully set. Cut the omelette into strips.
- Add a little more oil and fry off the shallots and carrots until soft.
- Add the garlic and peas and stir-fry for a minute.
- Add a little more oil and then add the rice, mixing well. Add the light soy sauce by pouring it around the wok above the rice. Stir-fry until all of the rice is coated in oil. Carefully break apart any clumps of rice with a spoon.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the omelette strips and tonkatsu and mix well, without tearing apart the tonkatsu pieces.
- Add the tonkatsu sauce and half of the green parts of the spring onions and mix well.
- Serve in individual bowls, carefully place the onsen eggs on top of the rice and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Use the rest of the spring onions on top to garnish.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Do let us know if you make my tonkatsu fried rice with onsen eggs recipe as we’d love to know how it turns out for you.
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