A Kimchi Omelette is an Omelette made with Kimchi. If you’re new to it, Kimchi is a fermented salty, mildly sweet, sour and spicy Korean condiment. The most common kind of Kimchi is made with salted Chinese cabbage, white radish, carrot, spring onion greens and a variety of seasonings. This condiment can be made with other vegetables too. Kimchi tends to have non-vegetarian ingredients usually, but I have a vegetarian version that I make all the time.
That last sentence would tell you that I like Kimchi, at least my version of it. I must add I’m the only one in my home so there’s usually Kimchi to spare in my fridge. Now the nice thing about Kimchi, if you like it, is that it is so versatile. Kimchi is better known across the word as a popular Korean banchan or side dish. However, Kimchi can be used to cook up other easy-to-cook recipes. Think Kimchi fried rice, Kimchi pancakes, sandwiches, noodles, dumplings, stew, and the list goes on.
One of the easiest Kimchi recipes I know is a Kimchi Omelette. It’s great for a quick meal that’s also low on carbs, if that’s a consideration for you. You can have it for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Do you need a recipe to make an omelette? All you really need are eggs, some kimchi, fat to fry the omelette, and salt and pepper if absolutely necessary. Kimchi tends be well salted and spicy in itself. I see recipes calling for other stuff to the omelette like grated zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, herbs of choice, grated cheese or feta, mirin, more scallions or spring onion greens, etc.
I like to keep things simple while cooking, most of the time. So my Kimchi Omelette is just mostly eggs and Kimchi. There are a couple of things to keep in mind while using Kimchi in an omelette, though. It’s a good idea to squeeze out most of the liquid in the Kimchi to prevent runny omelette mixture. Season with salt and pepper or chilli flakes with a little caution. Kimchi is quite generously salted and can be spicy.
I tend to add a bit of cornstarch dissolved in water (or milk) to eggs for omelettes with vegetables. This ensures the omelettes don’t fall apart while cooking and handling in the frying pan. If you have killer omelette making skills you can leave this out. I like my eggs well cooked, so I cook my omelettes on both sides. You can cook ours on one side only if that’s your preference.
Kimchi Omelette
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped kimchi
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 tsp sesame seeds
- Spring onion greens and fresh coriander to garnish optional
Instructions
- Break the eggs into a bowl. Dissolve the cornstarch and water and add to the eggs. Season with salt as required. Lightly beat everything together.
- Heat the oil in a small frying pan, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Pour in the eggs. As the edges start setting, spread the kimchi evenly all over the still uncooked eggs, pressing down lightly with a spatula. Also, sprinkle the sesame seeds, spring onion greens and chopped fresh coriander. Season with pepper if using.
- Let the omelette cook till set. Carefully turn it over to cook the other side as well, if you like it that way. Slide the omelette onto a plate, and serve warm. Sauces like ketchup, sweet chilli sauce, Ketchup-mayo or Sriracha (if you want more heat) are good with this.