Rice & Fried Rice · Chinese home cooking
Tomato and Beef Rice Bowl
Silky beef slices and soft tomato wedges are tossed in a hot wok with a light soy gravy, then ladled over rice so the juices soak into the grains.
About this dish
A wok running at full heat makes a steady roar when the beef hits it, and the tomatoes follow with a sharp, sweet steam that smells nothing like raw fruit. The trick is speed and order: beef goes in, colours, and leaves before it toughens; tomatoes soften just enough to collapse into a loose sauce. A spoonful of that juice over hot rice is the whole point, so keep the gravy thin rather than jammy. The pan is ready when a drop of marinade sizzles and vanishes on contact.
Before you start
Equipment: Wok, Rice cooker. Tap the ingredient checkboxes as you go.
Method
6 steps · tick each one off as you finish it.
Cook the rice
Rinse 200 g jasmine rice for 1 minute until the water clears, then simmer it over low heat with 260 ml water for 15 minutes, covered, until the grains are tender and the surface shows small steam holes.
Velvet the beef
Toss 250 g beef with 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp sesame oil and leave it off the heat for 10 minutes, until the slices look evenly coated and slightly tacky rather than wet.
Sear the beef
Set a wok over high heat for 2 minutes until a drop of water skitters away, add 1 tbsp oil and the beef in one layer, and stir for 90 seconds until the slices lose their pink colour and smell lightly toasted.
Soften the tomatoes
Tip 300 g tomato wedges into the same wok over medium heat and stir for 4 minutes until the skins curl back and the juices pool and bubble, then crush a few wedges with the back of a spoon to thicken the sauce.
Scramble the egg
Push the tomatoes to one side, pour 100 g beaten egg into the empty space over medium heat and leave it for 20 seconds until the base sets, then fold it through the sauce in broad curds for 1 minute.
Finish and serve
Return the beef to the wok over low heat with 30 g scallions and toss for 1 minute until the gravy clings and smells savoury, then spoon everything over 2 bowls of hot rice and serve within 2 minutes.
Tips that matter
- Slice the beef across the grain and keep it cold until it hits the wok; warm meat steams instead of searing.
- If the tomatoes release too much liquid, simmer 1 minute longer over high heat until the sauce coats the spoon.
Easy variations
- Add 80 g sliced onion with the tomatoes and finish with 1 tsp black vinegar for a sharper sauce.
- Swap the beef for 200 g sliced pork shoulder and add 1 tsp grated ginger to the marinade.
Questions that come up
Why did my beef turn out tough?
It was either cut with the grain or left in the wok too long. Slice across the grain, marinate with 1 tsp cornflour, and sear over high heat for no more than 90 seconds before removing it.
Can I make this with canned tomatoes?
Yes. Use 300 g drained canned wedges and skip the crushing step; they break down faster, so shorten the simmer to 2 minutes and add 1 tsp sugar to balance the acidity.
Nutrition, roughly
| Energy | 520 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 30 g |
| Carbohydrate | 62 g |
| Fat | 16 g |
Estimated per serving from standard ingredients, rounded. Treat it as a guide, not clinical data.
Rice, Water and Heat: A Ratio Field Guide
Why one cup of rice does not always want one cup of water, and how to tell a cooked pot from a steamed one before you lift the lid.
