Tamagoyaki with Shirasu (Baked Japanese Omelet)
しらす入り卵焼き · Shirasu-iri Tamagoyaki
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Tamagoyaki is the Japanese omelet you see tucked into lunch boxes, but in preschool kitchens we bake it in the oven on a sheet pan instead of rolling it in a skillet, so the whole batch comes out evenly cooked and tender. Shirasu (tiny dried baby sardines) add a gentle savory taste and calcium, and a splash of dashi keeps the egg soft and moist for little mouths. The onion is sauteed first so it turns sweet and melts into the egg, which makes this an easy win with kids who are wary of vegetables.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 60 gegg
- 21 gonion
- 6.8 gshirasu (dried baby sardines)Tiny, lightly salted and dried whole baby sardines that add gentle saltiness and calcium. Substitute: A small amount of flaked canned sardines, or omit.
Seasonings
- 1.5 gvegetable oil
- 7.5 gbonito and kombu dashiJapanese soup stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu kelp, the everyday base for soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a light vegetable or chicken stock.
- 0.3 gsalt
- to tastepepper
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- shirasu (dried baby sardines) (しらす干し)
- Tiny, lightly salted and dried whole baby sardines that add gentle saltiness and calcium. Substitute: A small amount of flaked canned sardines, or omit.
- bonito and kombu dashi (かつお・昆布だし汁)
- Japanese soup stock made from dried bonito flakes and kombu kelp, the everyday base for soups and simmered dishes. Substitute: Instant dashi granules dissolved in water, or a light vegetable or chicken stock.
Directions
- 1
Finely chop the onion. Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onion.
- 2
Briefly blanch the shirasu in boiling water to remove excess salt.
- 3
Add the shirasu from step 2, the beaten eggs, dashi, salt and pepper to the onion from step 1 and mix well.
- 4
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour in the mixture from step 3. Bake in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 20 minutes.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 114 kcal | 228 kcal | 114 kcal |
| Protein | 9.3 g | 18.6 g | 9.3 g |
| Fat | 7.8 g | 15.6 g | 7.8 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1.8 g | 3.6 g | 1.8 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.9 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g |
| Calcium | 51 mg | 102 mg | 51 mg |
| Iron | 0.9 mg | 1.8 mg | 0.9 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 114 kcal | 9.3 g | 7.8 g | 1.8 g | 0.9 g | 51 mg | 0.9 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 228 kcal | 18.6 g | 15.6 g | 3.6 g | 1.8 g | 102 mg | 1.8 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
