Omurice: The Delicious Fusion of Omelette and Rice

INTRODUCTION

Omurice is a bit famous Japanese dish that comprises omelet and fried rice, so delicious as a comfort food. Since its invention, it has gained popularity worldwide. The soft and fluffy cooked eggs were mixed with seasoned fried rice. Most of the time, this is eaten along with tomato sauce or any other richly flavored sauce. Whether you prefer a hot brunch or a quick business dinner, Omuris is sure to please. So, let’s get started making this dessert!

What is Omurice?

Omura rice, also known as omu rice, is a world-famous Japanese dish derived from Western cuisine.
The name “omelet rice” or “omelet rice” comes from the Japanese word “comprise,” which is a combination of the words “omelet” and “rice.”.

This dish is now gaining popularity not only in Japan but also in Korea due to the taste and simplicity of omurice. Soft eggs and rice are the outstanding characteristics that give this dish a distinctive experience everybody loves.

Korean Omelette Rice

Omurice first came to Korea during the Japanese occupation and quickly became a national dish. To make Korean-style omurice, you stir-fry finely chopped vegetables and deli meat (bacon or ham) with rice. Typically, ketchup and salt are used for flavor, but some people also add soy sauce or Worcester sauce.

Then, a thin fried egg omelet is wrapped around the fried rice and covered with another layer of demi-glace or ketchup on top. Omurice, which is very popular among Korean children, is mainly made with sweet and sour ketchup or deeply flavored demi-glace sauce.

Omurais are mainly available in fast food restaurants; however, the “Tornado Omurice (회오리 오타라이스) seems to be a new all-time trend lately. It is called so “Tornado” as during preparation, it is continuously performed in the form of turning the egg omelet inside out resembling tornado, and this is a funny or rather weird recipe that makes the meal even more entertaining.

Ingredients

Demi-Glace Sauce (Short Cut, Meatless Version)

• 1.5 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 Tbsp plain flour
• 5 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce, regular (kikkoman)
• 1 Tbsp Tonkatsu sauce or regular soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup milk

Fried Rice

• 1/2 carrot (60g / 2 ounces), finely chopped
• 1/2 onion (80g / 2.8 ounces), finely chopped
• 1/3 green bell pepper (45g / 1.6 ounces), finely chopped
• 80g / 2.8 ounces smoked deli ham (e.g Strasburg meat), finely diced or minced beef, pork or chicken
• 2 cups cooked rice (short or medium grain), cooled
• Some cooking oil

Rice Seasoning

• 1 Tbsp ketchup (or more if not serving with the demi-glace sauce above)
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce, regular (kikkoman)
• 1 Tbsp rice wine (mirin)

Omelette

• 6 to 9 eggs
• A pinch of salt
• Some cooking oil

Instructions

DEMI-GLACE SAUCE

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl or large measuring cup: ketchup, soy sauce, tonkatsu sauce, honey, water, and milk. Keep it aside.
2. After preheating a pan, add flour and cooking oil into it. Cook this mixture on medium to medium-high flame until it turns dark brown. It will take about five to seven minutes to prepare and should be stirred occasionally. Then reduce the flame to a minimum.
3. Now, pour the sauce made in the first step into the pan and whisk well. Then increase the heat to medium-low and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
4. Keep stirring it continuously. When the sauce is ready, keep it aside.

FRIED RICE

1. While the pan is heating, add some cooking oil. Now add the smoked ham, carrots, onions, and green bell peppers and fry until all the ingredients are cooked well.
2. Then add rice and rice masala and mix well for one to two minutes. Then, put out the fire. Prepare the rice, to keep it warm while other ingredients are prepared, then cover it with foil or a lid
3. To serve, place the rice evenly in a small bowl. Then place the serving plate in the bowl and invert. Then remove the bowl. Now, this rice is very ready to serve.

TORNADO OMELETTE

1. Beat the eggs well in a bowl. Eggs should be scrambled to get a smooth texture. Add some salt to it.
2. Now heat a non-stick frying pan on medium-high flame. Pour some cooking oil into the pan and spread it well.
3. Pour in the beaten eggs into the pan and continue to heat until the edge is cooked, about 3 millimeters or 0.12 inches. A good point that your omelet is ready to be cooked is the forming of air bubbles in the middle. You should see slightly larger bubbles.
4. Now, holding each wooden chopstick diagonally in your hands, press the egg from the edge towards the center, while keeping a distance of about 4 to 5 centimeters (1.5–2 inches) between each chopstick.
5. Then, start moving the chopsticks in one direction. While you are waiting for your egg to turn on the side use an angle of chopsticks because this is not putting more space between the egg and your chopsticks.
6. Keep switching the chopsticks between your hands so that the eggs will not stop moving and keep on cooking. Then flip until it is 95% done.
7. Now, take the chopsticks in one hand. Carefully place the omelet from the pan onto the prepared rice. Then you would serve the dish by adding demi-glace sauce (or ketchup) if you haven’t made the sauce making.

OVAL SHAPE OMELETTE

1. Beat the eggs well in a vessel. Scoop the eggs to a smooth texture. Sprinkle some salt in it.
2. Now heat a non-stick kadhai on a medium-high flame and add some cooking oil to it.
3. Add the beaten eggs to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Spread the eggs quickly to make a large, round, and thin omelet.
4. When the omelet is cooked well, place a portion of fried rice evenly in the middle.
5. Fold the edges of the omelet towards the rice to form a small blanket.
6. Now slowly take out the omelet from the pan place it on the serving plate and turn it over. Alternatively, you can place the omelet rice on the serving dish and flip the pan. Take care that there is no remaining oil in the pan so that burning can be avoided.
7. Put the folded omelet in a shape like an oval, using cooking foil or paper. Omurice can be hot, so be careful.
8. Serve it with demi-glace sauce.

ROUND SHAPE OMELETTE (EASIEST)

1. Beat the eggs well in a bowl. Next, peel the eggs to soften them. Sprinkle a little salt.
2. Now heat it in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add cooking oil.
3. Let the beaten eggs flow into the pan. Spread it into a circular shape so as to form a big flat omelet.
4. Once well cooked, remove from the pan and place it in a small saucepan. While rotating the egg a little, make sure you hold the shape of the container.
5. Now place the fried rice on top of the omelette you have just prepared. Press it a little and give it a firm shape.
6. Place the serving plate on top of the first vessel. Then, turn the plate and take out the vessel.
7. Now, it’s time to add the demi-glace sauce and serve.

How to Store

If you have leftover omurice, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. It is advisable to keep the fried rice separate from the sauce so that the demi-glace sauce does not get into the fried rice, whether you have made the sauce or not.

Also, instead of making the egg omelet in advance, I would recommend that you make it fresh on the day you plan to eat the leftover omurice. This preserves taste and quality.

Tips for Perfect Omurice

• Frozen rice is perfect for cooking since it eliminates stickiness and sogginess.
• A fluffy, non-sticky omelet is made by cooking eggs in a skillet over low heat with potatoes.
• Make Your Fillings Customized: You can change the taste of fried rice as per your desire. To illustrate, you can add ingredients like mushrooms, corn, or bacon to it. This will enhance the taste of rice even further.

Variations

• Japanese Curry Omurice: Instead of using ketchup, it is a fabulous idea to add some thick Japanese curry sauce to your omurice and give it a delectable makeover.
• Cheesy Omurice: To make this cheesy dish even more delicious, you can add grated cheese while the omelet is still cooking.
• Spicy Omurice: If you want a little spiciness, adding some chili sauce or hot sauce to the fried rice can add a spicy kick. This will enhance the taste of your omurice even more.

CONCLUSION

Omurice is not only a dish but a meal that combines familiar flavors of omelet and fried rice in a lovely way. It is a comfort meal for relaxation. Since this dish can be carried anywhere and at any time, whether it is breakfast, lunch, or dinner because it is rather flexible, easy to prepare, and will certainly satisfy your hunger, Omurice is yummy Japanese comfort food at its best. The softness of the eggs and the richness of the filling are unique because they are unique. So, now, we prepare our ingredients and make this beautiful dish to enjoy at home as well.

FAQ’s