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    Home » All recipes » Tamagoyaki- Reshape your breakfast, your fry pan, and your body with these Japanese rolled omelettes

    Tamagoyaki- Reshape your breakfast, your fry pan, and your body with these Japanese rolled omelettes

    Published: Apr 29, 2017 · Modified: Oct 6, 2021 by Matt · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

    tamagoyaki
    tamagoyaki fillings: smoked salmon and stir-fried spinach

    Are you feeling not so sunny- side-up about the same old eggs you always eat for breakfast?

    Are you looking something brand new to start your day? Would you be interested in a healthy breakfast that tastes good, fills you up all morning, and would be a new fun challenge to learn how to make?

    From Japan, here’s a new breakfast for the new you: tamagoyaki.

    No more soggy, runny scrambled eggs… Good morning, sunshine! 

    tamagoyaki filling: black sesame seeds

    My Tamagoyaki Food Fantasy

    “By the way, mister, what’s a ta-ma-go-ya-ki?” …Awh, I thought you’d never ask. Thanks! 

    It’s a Japanese-style rolled omelette– tamago means egg and yaki means fried or grilled. It’s awesome.

    This is my newest food fantasy. 

    My dream is that tamagoyaki will be the next Japanese food to become popular worldwide since sushi in the 1990s. 30-something ladies wearing heather grey yoga pants will order them with matcha-infused green smoothies at the sit-down counter at Whole Foods. Their jet black rectangular-shaped pans will glimmer, lightly painted with organic virgin coconut oil. All the pseudo-celebrity RNs tweet out “the new eggs-citing superfood breakfast from Japan.”  

    Note for readers: I have no clue what 30-somethings wear when they go to Whole Foods- I live in Japan. However, I confirmed on Pinterest that they do wear heather grey-colored leggings and have Instagram-perfect abs. Also please note that the nurses are the ones using egg puns on Twitter, not me.

    Speaking of nurses and abs, are you someone who wants to lose some weight?

    tamagoyaki fillings: sakura ebi (small shrimp) and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) 

    Let me rephrase that.

    Are you someone who would maybe PREFER to weigh less but you don’t really want to GIVE UP eating yummy food? I don’t either.

    Maybe you’ve tried to lose weight in the past and just haven’t been able to. Even if you’ve already given up hope, this is your chance to get back in the game… if you like eggs. Destiny’s chicken child is clucking your name.

    If you’re willing to start your day to a different beat, but you don’t want to feel hungry all the time or live on rabbit food,

    then this is for you.

    …if you like eggs. You gotta like eggs.

    tamagoyaki
    tamagoyaki fillings: cooked ham, red and yellow peppers, and nasu (Japanese eggplant)

    These were the reasons I decided to lose weight:

    1. This was the biggie for me- when you lose weight and then keep it off, you gain confidence, at work, in social situations, and in a relationship. When you start to look like superman, you start to act and feel like him. (But beware!- sugar and carbs are cryptonyte!) For women, I imagine the experience is somewhat similar, possibly with less flexing in front of the bathroom mirror.

    2. Feeling strong and being in control of what I eat.I schedule in rich chocolate cake every possible Saturday, oftentimes multiple desserts. I indulge once a week and don’t feel any guilt, none. Keiko-san at Pierre Hermé knows me by my first name and that she won’t see me any other day of the week.

    3. Getting healthy. Short term, I wanted to have more energy. Long term, I want to avoid disease and increase my longevity, like a lot.

    4. Look your best. Kids and some grown-ups, not in a mean way, used to tease me about my belly sticking out. It doesn’t happen anymore. Now I get compliments about me not having a belly or “being skinny”– it never gets old.

    tamagoyaki fillings: tarako (cod roe) rolled with nori (seaweed)

    I used to eat granola.

    Now I eat eggs for breakfast pretty much six days a week. Initially, I’d eat two boiled eggs every morning before work until I could barely stomach the last half of the second egg. Bleh! At that point I decided to switch to fried eggs using a minimal amount of oil and I still managed to lose weight on a consistent basis.

    I don’t shoot for perfection. Yes, poached eggs are the healthier option- no oil, not fried. But seriously, how many poached eggs can eat in a row before you crack and go back to your old eating habits?

    Toast is toast. Friend, from now on you’re gonna be eating the Rolls Royce of rolled omelettes. With tamagoyaki, the options are endless. I promise you, once you learn how to make them *, you’ll find out just how gratifying it is to fold over golden sheets of egg in a pan, like wrapping silk kimono into your dresser drawer. You are the new emperor, the empress of your town.

    Would an emperor eat cornflakes?

    *Note: your first attempt may be a total disaster. Mine was.

    tamagoyaki fillings: fresh green peas

    Why eggs? – Tamagoyaki Nutrition and Weight Loss

    • Eggs are a superfood. Nutritionists call them nature’s most perfect food.
    • They’re one of the best sources of protein on the planet.
    • Eggs have a high satiety index, which means they make you feel full so you end up consuming fewer calories.
    • Eggs, especially their yolk, are full of vitamins and nutrients that help your brain, your eyes, and heart.
    • For the vast majority of people, it’s safe* to eat up to 2-3 eggs a day.
    • For most people, eggs won’t increase blood cholesterol or the risk of heart or artery disease.
    • Unlike cereal and toast, eggs go well with vegetables. Experts recommend including a serving of vegetables with every meal.
    • And eggs are relatively inexpensive.

    Choose eggs that are free-range, pasture fed. Make sure the yolk is deep yellow or orange in color.

    Sources: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Johnny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., Dr. Joseph Mercola (YouTube), The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss, authoritynutrition.com, John Berardi, Ph.D. for Huffington Post

    *Disclaimer: Please consult with a medical professional to see if eating tamagoyaki or cutting carbs is right for you. When you are at the doctor’s office, please share this post- your doctor may want to try tamagoyaki too. 

    Give it a try?

    First, watch this short video. I’ll teach you how to make your first tamagoyaki. You can start experimenting at home with a regular fry pan even if you don’t have a rectangular-shaped tamagoyaki pan.

    I ordered a tamagoyaki pan for my mom from Amazon.

    Trick to Rolling Up Tamagoyaki- Watch the Video

    Tamagoyaki Recipe- The Basics

    Ingredients:

    • two eggs
    • two pinches of salt (some people add soy sauce instead)
    • a pinch of sugar (optional)
    • two tablespoons of hondashi* (fish/seafood allergy)

    *I always add dashi which technically makes these dashimaki, not tamagoyaki. You can make them without dashi, but I highly recommend adding it for flavoring. Dashi is the secret ingredient in Japanese cooking.

    What to eat with tamagoyaki?

    I always have tamagoyaki with a salad or steamed vegetables.

    Also, I make my own tsukemono, Japanese pickled vegetables, which is really easy. I just made simple pickles out of daikon radish, cucumbers, carrots, or whatever vegetables are in season.

    I’ve also acquired the taste for natto, fermented soy beans. 

    And if I’m lucky, I have some miso soup.

    tamagoyaki fillings: cooked green beans, carrots, and onions
    tamagoyaki filling: nori (seaweed)

    Thank you very much for reading this post! Did you find it useful? I hope so because there’s more on the way! If you think someone you know would also be interested in tamagoyaki, please share.

    tamagoyaki filling: boiled shrimp and Japanese cucumber

    Which tamagoyaki would you like to add to your breakfast plate? Do you have any questions? Please let me know by leaving a comment below.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ron

      May 09, 2017 at 9:29 am

      Matt - Great post. Very informative. I also am an egg eater so I'll be giving it a try. As for dashi, your so right, it's good with so many things. Thanks for the informative video as well.

      Reply
    2. Catnip

      February 26, 2019 at 4:43 pm

      Why don't you share the combinations that you put together in the photographs of your article? I would be interested to see what ideas you came up with.

      Reply
      • Matt

        February 27, 2019 at 1:05 am

        Thank you for your comment, Catnip! I remember when I wrote this blog, I had intended to share recipes as a next step. Then I started to focus on interviews and people. If you'd like any suggestions for tamagoyaki, please let me know! Thank you for the reminder- when I cook up some tamagoyaki I'll take some picts and share the recipe.

        Reply
      • flightrisk

        August 03, 2020 at 4:48 am

        Omg. You had me rolling over the heather grey leggings at whole foods! Great read, and I rarely actually read an entire post! Looking forward to making some of these tamagoyakis!

        Reply
        • Matt

          August 03, 2020 at 10:40 am

          That's so sweet of you to say. Thank you! Reading this, cheered me up. It was a good reminder to me to add in some humor and keep things light. I just finished a brand new tamagoyaki recipe. Fillings are smoked salmon, spinach, and blue cheese. You can find new recipe right at the top of my blog. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any help. 🙂

          Reply
        • Angela

          March 31, 2022 at 9:35 am

          So I've just recently found out about rolled eggs *tamagoyaki?
          I realized that they are delicious! I can't stand regular scrambled eggs, or maybe just how I make them. I love fried eggs, but the way I make them is so not healthy....lol so when I realized that the way these are made are both healthy and delicious I was hooked! Unfortunately I can't use dashi since it isn't gluten free and I have celiac disease. It makes me so sad that I'll never be able to try a steamed bun or Ramen the way it's meant to be.... but at least I can eat tamogoyaki!

          Reply
          • Matt

            March 31, 2022 at 2:44 pm

            Hi Angela, I actually ate tamagoyaki twice already today. haha! Sooo good and so many variations you can try. You could experiment with alternatives to dashi. Even with a little gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, I would imagine it would taste amazing! I also wonder if kombu dashi is GF... You could possible try some chicken stock as well. Let me know if I can help!

            Reply
    3. Maggi

      June 02, 2022 at 5:37 am

      Late to the party as I've only just found this. after reading a novel set in Japan (The Blue Cat) I was curious about the omeletts talked about. Got to try this. Thank you

      Reply
      • Matt

        June 18, 2022 at 3:54 pm

        I love it! Thank you, Maggi. I'll keep a look out for The Blue Cat. I haven't heard of it until now. Fun "coincidences"...

        Reply

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    Matt Eisenhauer

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