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The Asian omelet we’re sharing in our recipe takes mere minutes to prepare and makes an easy main dish item for breakfast, brunch, lunch, a scrumptious hors d’oeuvre with cold beer on a hot summer day, or even a main at the dining table. This Asian omelet is immensely popular in Cambodia precisely because it’s delicious despite being so quick and simple to whip up.
All you need to cook this egg dish is some eggs, spring onions, some basic seasonings, and about 15 minutes of your time. You can serve this omelet with white rice, toast, bacon, freshly cut vegetables, or anything else that suits your fancy.
Asian Omelet: How to Make a Simple Asian Omelet in 15 Minutes [Cambodian Recipe]
Equipment
- whisk a fork works just fine
- Small mixing bowl
- Frying pan slide skillet, omelet pan, wok, or regular frying pan will do
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Green onions
- 1 tbsp Fish sauce
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tspn Sugar
- 1 tspn MSG
- 8 Large eggs
- ½ tbsp Cooking oil
Instructions
- Crack the eggs and drain the egg whites and yolks into a small bowl.
- Add the fish sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, and MSG to the eggs and whisk the ingredients together with a whisk or fork.
- Chop the spring onions into 1cm pieces, add to the beaten eggs, and continue to whisk. Once you combine eggs with the other ingredients in a uniform mixture, set the mixing bowl aside.
- Preheat a little oil (or cooking spray) in the frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the egg mixture to the skillet and distribute evenly over the surface. How much of the omelet mix you fry at a time depends on the surface area of the frying pan. For this recipe, we used our 10-inch cast iron griddle, which could hold about a cup of the egg mixture.
- Fry the mixture over moderately high heat for about a minute-and-a-half. Then, lift the omelet using a spatula from the edge of the pan and flip it over. Continue frying until the omelet is golden brown, for a total frying time of 2-3 minutes, then transfer the omelet to a serving dish (feel free to remove excess oil with paper towels, if needed).
- Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the rest of the omelet mix, adding cooking oil or cooking spray as required.
- Place the omelet onto a serving plate and eat with white rice and the
Cambodian chili sauce .
Nutrition
What are the four types of omelets?
The four (broad) types of omelets are as follows:
- American omelet: An American omelet is fried over high heat then folded in half, with your fillings of choice going in between the two halves. American omelets are relatively simple to make, and the Asian omelet in our recipe above is based on the same cooking technique as a typical American omelet.
- French omelet: French omelets are much softer than American ones, and are folded into a cylinder shape rather than simply in half. The preparation technique for French-style omelets is labor-intensive and elaborate, and the omelet mix requires continuous motion to achieve its fluffy, moist consistency.
- Frittata: A Frittata is an omelet in which the fillings are mixed into the egg mixture — you do not fold it to enclose the fillings inside. Frittatas are generally made with milk or cream, which adds to the dish’s custard-like consistency.
- Soufflé: A Soufflé is an omelet that’s made thicker and fluffier through the addition of extra egg whites to the mix. Soufflés are traditionally oven-baked, although there are quicker, stove-top recipes, too.
What is the difference between Foo Yung and omelette?
The difference between Foo Yung and omelette is in the ingredients. An omelette (whether American, French, Frittata, or Soufflé) is typically filled with a variety of vegetables, whereas the seasonings are mostly limited to salt and pepper. In contrast, Foo Yung (Chinese omelette) usually contains garlic, five-spice seasoning, red chili flakes, various meats, and is served with a thick gravy.
What is the Japanese omelet called?
The Japanese omelet is called “omurice”. The name “omurice” is a blending of the words “omelette” and “rice”, which are the two primary components of the Japanese omelet. The omurice comprises fried rice that’s wrapped in a thin layer of fried scrambled eggs.
What is the Thai omelet called?
The Thai omelet is called Khai Jiao. Khai Jiao is similar to the Cambodian version of the Asian omelet we described in this recipe, but with fewer seasonings and one additional ingredient — a bit of rice flour. The cooking technique for the Khai Jiao is a bit different than that of the Cambodian omelet, but also much simpler than that of the French omelet or the omurice. Like its Khmer counterpart, the Khai Jiao is a comfort food that’s served over a bed of white steamed rice at family events.
