Secrets of Making Steamed Egg Custard That Tastes Like Pudding

When I was attending college in China, I lived in a four-person dorm. The room was very nice and spacious located in a newly developed apartment complex. I didn’t have any complaints about the living conditions. But what really bothered me were the endless restrictions, such as no pets or electric kitchen cookware allowed. Most of us didn’t know how to cook at home, but once we moved out, we craved for Mom’s flavor, dishes like MooGoo Gai Pan or Egg Fried Rice. After one summer vacation, one of my roommates brought her entire mini kitchen supplies with her, like sushi mat, packs of instant noodles, induction top, pan and pot, all kinds of cooking ingredients, etc. We were thrilled more than you can imagine.  We knew our happy hour had finally begun! I still remember every time when we were having hotpot, the smell travelled almost at a light speed to our neighbors. We got people knocking on the door and curiously stuck the head in. The door was always double locked when we had this kind of secret meal. That’s our No.1 safety check rule. Very funny but effective!

 

I wasn’t that crazy to pack everything with me before I left home. But one thing that my Mom specially urged me to take was a Tupperware container, which could easily make Steamed Egg Custard using a microwave. My Mom didn’t want me to break the school policy, but at the same time she was so concerned. So she told me if I could borrow the microwave in the management office of the building, I could turn 5 minutes to a simple homemade dish. I am so glad I listened to her!

 

Back at that time, I didn’t follow any strict rule. The old cooking method either made it too moist or too dry. But recently I stumbled upon an article about how to make Steamed Egg Custard that tastes like pudding. In this post, I want to share these wonderful tips and a great, simple Chinese food recipe for yourself or your family!

 

 

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Serves 2 as an appetizer

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Special instruction:

1. Save one eggshell after beating the eggs for later use.
2. The golden ratio of egg to water is 1:2.

 

Ingredients

 

• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 6 pieces green peas
• 6 pieces corn kernel
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½  teaspoon salt

 

Steps:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs with ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk to blend.
2. Use a half eggshell to pour water in the bowl. Since we have 4 eggs in this recipe, so patience is very important. You have to add water 16 times (4 times for 1 egg) using the eggshell. This way we can measure the exact needed amount of water.
3. Pour the mixture through a strainer to another medium bowl. Anything that cannot go through, such as bubbles or egg mixture, should be removed.
4. Add green peas and corn kernels to the bowl. Blend well.
5. Use a steamer or rice cooker to steam the egg custard for 15 minutes. The key point is to cover the bowl with a small plate or plastic cover. This way it can prevent water overflow into the bowl.

Sprinkle some sesame oil and chopped green onions on the top. Ready to serve!