Omurice - Japanese omelette with fried rice

Omurice is Japanese comfort food at its best - a soft omelette laid like a blanket over ketchup-fried rice. The dish originated in Tokyo's Western-inspired cafes over a hundred years ago and is now both home cooking and a firm favourite in family-friendly eateries. It's a guaranteed hit with children, and the whole trick is to make the rice flavourful and the omelette cooked just loosely enough that the centre almost flows out when you cut into it.

• Cuisine: Japan
• Time: 30 minutes
• Servings: 4 people
• Difficulty: Medium

Instructions

1. Sauté chopped onion, carrot, peas, and diced chicken until tender in a pan with a little oil.
2. Add cold, cooked jasmine rice and fry thoroughly. Season with ketchup and a splash of light soy sauce until the rice is uniformly orange and flavourful.
3. Divide the fried rice onto four plates and shape into neat ovals.
4. Whisk the eggs well with a pinch of salt and pour them onto a well-oiled, hot pan.
5. Let the egg mixture set on the bottom and carefully pull in the edges until the omelette is firm but the centre is still soft.
6. Flip the omelette off the pan and place it over the rice, or roll the rice inside the egg.
7. Garnish with a drizzle of ketchup and some sliced spring onion, and serve immediately.

Tips

• Use day-old rice - cold rice becomes loose and prevents clumping in the pan.
• Remove the omelette from the pan while the center is still soft, so it doesn't become dry and unappetizing.
• Serve with a light salad or a bowl of miso soup on the side for a complete meal.
• Make it vegetarian by omitting the chicken and adding mushrooms, corn, and extra vegetables.