Japan – OMURICE (Japanese Omelet Rice)

by Zayna Khan

OMURICE is the dish of Japanese cuisine which is influence by ”FUSION CUISINE”. It is said that this dish is evolved from Western-style cooking. This dish is actually an Omellete dish of fried rice and served with ketchup. It can be served as a snack or also as a whole meal. Because the nutritional content of this dish is very high because of high protein egg, the addition of whole-grain rice, vegetables, etc.

In fried rice, vegetables, chicken, seafood can be added. The thin slice of an egg is made and wrapped with rice. Served with dipping sauce especially ketchup. Sometimes, it is served with a salad of cabbage, tomatoes, cucumber, etc. This is the whole meal of egg, vegetables, meat, salad, them what do you need more.

ALTERNSTIVE NAMES OF THE DISH

As this dish is influenced from the western style cooking and has following names :

• Omurice
• Omu-Rice
• Omellete rice
• Omu raisu
• Egg roll up rice
• Egg rolled fried rice
• Egg and fried rice, etc

OMU RAISU is a Japanese word of English Language. It is said the ”WASEI-EIGO”.

WASEI- EIGO is known as ”JAPANESE-MADE-ENGLISH”. It is said that Japanese expression of English language. In wasei-eigo, this omelet Rice is known as OMU RAISU, which means Omelet Rice. This language has those word, that is not part of standard English. Because they are influenced by Japanese expressions.

YOSHOKU :

Yoshoku is the Japanese cuisine western food. It is the example of ”FUSION CUISINE’‘. This is originated from ”MEJI RESTORATION’‘. Yoshoku is influence by Western, European, Italian cuisine mixed up into Japanese dishes. They then came up with a new Fusion dish.

VARIATIONS OF THE DISH

This dish has many variations according to the different ingredients and cooking procedure :

OMU CURRY

This is Omu curry, Omurice curry which is a curry, gravy in which rice is served wrapped up by a thin egg sheet. It has many different methods of serving these components. This dish has a total of three elements, Rice, Omelet, and curry. It may sometimes resemble Hayashi rice which is a meat curry served with steamed rice. This dish has different serving methods like :

• Rice is covered with curry and the top is a thin slice of cooked egg.
• Rice is mixed with curry and roll into an egg sheet.
• An egg is scrambled and then topped on the rice curry plate.
• The egg is cooked and layering of rice with curry is served.

OMU HAYASHI

Omuhayashi is actually a dish which consist of two individual dishes, OMU RICE, HAYASHI RICE. These both dishes are separate dishes with great taste and different texture. They are combined in a way that they both express their individuality and form a beautiful dish known as ”OMUHAYASHI”

Rice is cooked and wrapped into egg fillet, Hayashi sauce with meat is cooked and spread it over the egg filled with rice.

OMUSOBA

This dish is a variation of Omurice in which rice is replaced by Noodles. Cooked and flavored noodles are used instead of rice. This is said that the new version of dish according to the new generation taste and flavors. ”JAPANESE OMELET WITH STIRR NOODLES AND GLAZE”’, This is the name of the dish and we can say, OMUSOBA. Soba noodles are traditionally used as the main element of the dish with egg and some semi glaze sauce.

This dish has elements like :

• Stirr fried noodles
• Omelet / scrambled eggs
• Glaze / sauce

CHIKIN RAISU

This dish is the same as the OMURICE, but with a different version like meat is added into the rice and then tossed these rice into some sauce mainly ketchup. This is a dish of tangy taste and then mild cooked scrambled eggs are served.

OMUTAKO

This dish is served and cooked in Okinawa. In this dish, TACO RICE is used instead of simple fried rice. This dish is taco-flavored beef meat cooked in rice and then wrapped by a thin sheet of egg.

INGREDIENTS OF OMURICE

For Fried Rice

• Rice = 2 cups
• Kosher salt = 1 teaspoon
• Soyasauce = 1/4 cup
• Chicken boneless pieces = 1/2 cup
• Corn = 1/4 cup
• Peas = 1/4 cup
• Onions chopped = 1
• Sesame oil = 4 tablespoons
• Mirin = 2 tablespoons
• Sake = 1 teaspoon
• Mushrooms = 1/4 cup
• Rice vinegar = 1/4 cup
• Sesame seeds = 2 tablespoons

For Omelet

• Eggs = 4
• Milk =1/2 cup
• Scallions = 2 tablespoon
• Olive oil = 2 tablespoons
• Cream = 2 tablespoons

For Sauce

• Ketchup = 1 cup
• Soya sauce = 2 tablespoons
• Brown sugar = 2 tablespoons
• Sake = 2 teaspoons

DIRECTION TO MAKE THIS OMURICE

FOR FRIED RICE

• Take a cooking pot and add sesame oil into it, add onions and stir it for a little.
• Add soya sauce, mirin, sake, vinegar, salt with chicken chunks and cook it.
• After almost 5 minutes, when chicken is cooked, add vegetables and let them cook for 10 minutes on low heat, covered by lid.
• After this add 4 cups of water and 2 cups of rice into it.
• Make it boil and then after all the moisture absorbed and evaporates, let it cook for 15 minutes.
• And our fried rice is ready.

FOR OMELET

• Take a mixing bowl and add all the ingredients into it.
• Mix them well so the omelet is fluffy.
• Beat the egg mixture until it gets some air and fluffy.
• Add olive oil into pan on low heat and drop this fluffy egg mixture into pan.
• Cook it on both sides and its ready to serve.

FOR SAUCE

• For sauce, add ketchup, soya sauce, sugar, sake and mix it well.
• Take cooking pan and add this mixture and cook it for a while.
• It takes 10 minutes to make it thick and glazy.

ASSEMBLING

To assebmle this dish we have three elements :

• First spread all the rice into serving plate.
• Cooked omelet is lie down over the bed of rice.
• Top some sauce and serve.