Dashimaki Tamago

There are many elegant egg dishes in Japanese cuisine, but dashimaki tamago (だし巻き卵), which translates to "dashi rolled egg", is a custardy omelette with a smile-inducing amount of flavor. As the name implies, dashimaki tamago contains almost as much umami-rich dashi stock as there is egg. This creates a magical suspension of savory soup within the egg released with each bite. Whether served as part of a traditional breakfast or packed into bento lunches, this classic dish is a delicious part of Japanese meals.

Why this Recipe Works

• Using a high ratio of Japanese soup stock to egg gives this variation of tamagoyaki a tender, juicy texture and makes it extra flavorful. 
• Minimizing the air in the egg is critical to achieving a rich custardy texture.
• Molding the dashimaki tamago using a sushi mat gives it a nice shape while letting you hide any blemishes in the omelette created when rolling. This also allows you to make it in a regular frying pan.

What's the Difference between Dashimaki Tamago and Tamagoyaki?

There are many styles of omelettes in Japan, including usuyaki tamago, atsuyaki tamago, datemaki, etc. These are all versions of tamagoyaki. Both basic tamagoyaki and Dashimaki tamago are rolled omelettes, but dashimaki tamago has a high ratio of dashi stock, which gives the egg a softer texture.

Restaurant Style Dashimaki Tamago

In Japan, it's thought that you can gauge the level of a high-end restaurant by the quality of their simplest dishes. Dashimaki Tamago makes for a great benchmark because the rolled omelette is not only ubiquitous, it takes skill and experience to make this elegant egg dish well.

While the basic recipe may sound simple, great dashimaki tamago is characterized by a high ratio of Japanese soup stock to egg, but this makes the omelette extremely delicate. Restaurants in Kyoto use an acrobatic cooking technique involving chopsticks and gravity and when I interned at a Kyoto restaurant a number of years ago it felt like trying to eat pudding with chopsticks.

As I destroyed roll after roll, I remember thinking, "Spatulas were invented for a reason!". But a look over my shoulder at the stern look on my master's face, along with the well-worn "encouragement stick" hanging on the wall, and I chose wisely not to question his cooking methods. While I eventually managed to roll one using chopsticks, I now use a spatula at home. With practice and patience, you can make this classic Japanese dish at home using these easy techniques.

Ingredients for Dashimaki Tamago

• Eggs - The main ingredient that provides structure and richness to the tamagoyaki. I recommend using eggs laid by hens fed a diet high in beta-carotene. This gives the egg yolks a vibrant orange hue, creating a beautiful golden color for this delicious dish.
• Dashi stock - This Japanese soup stock is made from kombu (kelp) and bonito flakes and adds umami and a subtle smoky flavor to the dashimaki tamago. I have a recipe for making dashi from scratch, or you can buy dashi packs, which are like teabags that can be steeped in boiling water to make dashi. I prefer these for my Dashimaki Tamago recipe, but if you can't find them, other flavorful clear broths like chicken stock or vegetable broth will work, though the flavor will be different.
• Usukuchi soy sauce - Usukuchi means "light taste soy sauce" in Japanese. This soy sauce is commonly used in Japanese food hailing from the Kansai region. Its more delicate taste and lighter color result from a shorter fermentation period. It has a higher salt content, which helps the umami from the Japanese soup stock bloom without discoloring the egg. This is not the same as "light soy sauce" sold in the West, which usually indicates a lower sodium content. Shiroshoyu or "white soy sauce" will work best if you find it.
• Potato starch - A small amount of starch helps to bind the dashi stock with the egg so it doesn't separate as you cook it. You can substitute it with cornstarch if necessary.
• Salt - Using soy sauce alone to season the egg will make it too dark in color, which is why I like to supplement it with a pinch of salt.
• Daikon - Grated daikon radish or daikon oroshi lends a refreshing contrast to the rich and savory tamago with its peppery sweetness. You can season it with a splash of soy sauce before eating. 

How to Make Dashimaki Tamago

Mix the potato starch with dashi stock, usukuchi soy sauce, and salt in a large bowl and stir until the salt has fully dissolved.

Next, break the eggs into a separate bowl. There's no need to remove the chalaza here, as the mixture will be strained later. Beat the eggs with chopsticks (you could also use a fork). It's important to mix the egg whites and yolks uniformly while incorporating as little air as possible. The best way to do this is to hold the chopsticks at a 90-degree angle to the bottom of the bowl and use a rapid side-to-side cutting motion. Avoid using a circular or whipping motion to avoid forcing air into the egg. I also avoid using a whisk for the same reason. 

Once the eggs are beaten, pour them into the dashi mixture and stir thoroughly, trying to limit the formation of bubbles. Strain this egg mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any unmixed egg.

Heat a rectangular tamagoyaki pan over medium heat until it's hot (see instructions below for using a regular pan). Lightly grease the pan using an oil-soaked paper towel, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. The key here is to have a well-greased but not oily pan to prevent sticking and promote even cooking.

Pour enough egg mixture into the pan to coat the bottom without swirling. If any air bubbles form, use chopsticks to pop them. As the bottom layer sets, you'll notice it becoming more opaque. When it's mostly cooked through, use a spatula to separate the edges from the pan and start rolling it from the far end towards you. This technique ensures even cooking and forms the layers of egg in this rolled omelette. Once you reach the front edge, slide the roll to the back of the pan.

Grease the empty part of the pan again, then pour another layer of the egg mixture. Quickly lift the roll with chopsticks and tip the pan to get some fresh egg mixture under the omelette so it doesn't burn. Repeat this process, layering and rolling, until you've used up all the egg mixture.

When the dashimaki tamago is done, turn it out onto the center of a bamboo sushi mat with the bumpy side facing up. Roll one edge of the bamboo mat around the egg and cinch it up, applying gentle pressure to mold the tamagoyaki. This step helps shape the omelette and hides any imperfections from the rolling process. Let it rest for at least ten minutes to set.

Make Dashimaki Tamago in a Round Pan

Follow the process above to prepare the egg mixture, then preheat and grease a non-stick frying pan. 

Pour enough egg mixture into the pan to cover the bottom without swirling it. When the egg is no longer runny, use a spatula to fold the left and right sides of the omelette toward the center of the pan. Now roll the egg from the front of the pan towards the back and return the rolled egg to the front of the pan. 

Grease the pan again, then repeat the process until you've used the remaining egg. 

Then, follow the directions in the section above to shape the Dashimaki Tamago using a bamboo sushi mat. 

Serve it With

Dashimaki Tamagoyaki is commonly served as part of a traditional Japanese breakfast, along with grated daikon radish, a bowl of rice, pickles, grilled fish, and miso soup. It can also be packed into a bento box for lunch along with onigiri, and side dishes such as kinpira gobo, and sesame spinach. More recently, people have been stuffing these Japanese omelettes into sandwiches where the bread can hide minor mistakes.

📖 Recipe

Dashimaki Tamago

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Yield 2 servings

Equipment

1 Tamagoyaki pan

1 Turner (Spatula)

1 Medium Glass Bowl

1 Large Glass Bowl

1 Fine Mesh Strainer

Units

Grams + US CupsUS Standard

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 1 teaspoon potato starch (3 grams)
• ¾ cup dashi stock
• 1 teaspoon usukuchi soy sauce
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs (about 240 grams)
• vegetable oil (for pan)
• daikon (grated for garnish)

Instructions

Step PhotosNo Photos

• Add 1 teaspoon potato starch, ¾ cup dashi stock, 1 teaspoon usukuchi soy sauce, and ⅛ teaspoon salt in a large bowl and stir the mixture until the salt has dissolved.
  
• Break the 4 large eggs into a separate bowl and beat the eggs with chopsticks. The goal is to uniformly mix the egg whites and yolks while incorporating as little air as possible. To do this, hold the chopsticks (or fork) at a 90-degree angle to the bottom of the bowl and use a side-to-side cutting motion to beat the eggs. Don't use a circular or whipping motion, as this will aerate the mixture.
  
• Pour the beaten eggs into the dashi mixture and stir together thoroughly, trying to limit the number of bubbles that form.
  
• Strain the egg mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any unmixed egg or chalaza.
  
• Heat a tamagoyaki pan over medium heat until hot. Use a folded paper towel soaked with vegetable oil to lightly grease the pan (there shouldn't be any beads of oil). Be sure to get into all the corners and edges.
  
• Pour enough of the mixture into the pan to fully coat the bottom without swirling. If any air bubbles start to form, use chopsticks to pop them.
  
• As the bottom layer of the egg sets, you'll notice it becomes more opaque. When the egg is mostly cooked through, use a spatula around the edges of the omelet to separate it from the pan and start rolling it from the far end of the pan towards you. When you reach the front edge of the pan, use the spatula to slide it to the back edge of the pan.
  
• Grease the empty part of the pan with the oiled paper towel and then pour in another layer of egg mixture. Quickly use chopsticks to lift up the roll and tip the pan to allow the egg to run under the omelet.
  
• When the new layer of egg is mostly set, repeat the previous 2 steps until you run out of egg mixture.
  
• When the dashimaki tamago is done, turn it out onto the center of a bamboo sushi mat (with the bumpy side facing up). Roll one edge of the mat around the egg and cinch it up so some pressure is applied to the tamagoyaki.
  
• Roll the other edge around the egg and use your hands to press the omelette into a nice shape. Let this rest for at least 10 minutes to set.
  
• For the daikon radish, peel and grate the daikon using a daikon grater or the rasp side of a box grater. Use a strainer to drain off any excess water.
  
• To serve, slice the dashimaki tamago and garnish with a mound of grated daikon topped with a splash of soy sauce.
  

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Nutrition Facts

Calories • 181kcalCarbohydrates • 4gProtein • 15gFat • 11gSaturated Fat • 3gPolyunsaturated Fat • 3gMonounsaturated Fat • 4gTrans Fat • 0.04gCholesterol • 372mgSodium • 757mgPotassium • 347mgFiber • 1gSugar • 2gVitamin A • 544IUVitamin C • 11mgCalcium • 98mgIron • 2mg