Ebi Tama (Shrimp Omelette in Savory Sauce)
Fluffy egg omelette with shrimp in a savoury sauce.
Ingredients
- 5 Egg
- 150 g Shrimp
- 2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 250 ml Chicken stock
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- 3 Scallions (optional)
Method
- Beat the eggs with chopped shrimp and scallion.
- Make a glossy sauce: in a small saucepan bring the stock and soy to a gentle simmer over medium. Stir the cornstarch into a little cold water, then whisk it in and cook, stirring, until the sauce turns clear and thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Heat the oil in a nonstick pan over medium. Pour in the egg mixture and cook, stirring gently and pulling in the edges, until just set into a soft, fluffy omelette with a slightly creamy centre.
- Slide the omelette onto rice and pour the warm sauce over the top.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Ebi Tama (Shrimp Omelette in Savory Sauce)
Ebi tama is a Japanese-Chinese omelette dish — part of the yoshoku tradition of Western and Chinese cooking adapted to Japanese tastes — closely related to the crab version, kani tama, and to the Cantonese egg foo young that inspired both. Its defining feature is the pairing of a soft, barely-set egg omelette studded with shrimp and scallion against a glossy, poured-over sauce thickened with cornstarch. The eggs are cooked gently, pulled in from the edges and stirred just until they set into a fluffy, faintly creamy mass, so the texture stays custardy rather than firm. Over the top goes a clear, spoon-coating sauce of chicken stock and soy that ties the whole plate together.
The result is comforting and delicate: mild, savoury egg and sweet shrimp under a warm, silky sauce with the clean umami of soy and stock. It's traditionally slid onto a bowl of hot rice, the sauce soaking down into the grains, which turns it into a quick and satisfying single-bowl meal. Because it's mostly egg and shrimp with a light sauce, it's naturally high in protein and low in carbohydrate, making it an easy weeknight main. What makes this version work is control on both fronts — a properly thickened, clear sauce and eggs taken off the heat while still soft — since overcooking either the omelette or the cornstarch is the usual way the dish goes wrong.
Ebi Tama (Shrimp Omelette in Savory Sauce): frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Ebi Tama (Shrimp Omelette in Savory Sauce)?
A serving has about 451 calories — 36.3g protein, 13.8g carbs, 27.8g fat, 1.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 36.3g of protein, roughly 32% of its calories.
Is Ebi Tama (Shrimp Omelette in Savory Sauce) gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu). You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Ebi Tama (Shrimp Omelette in Savory Sauce)?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out scallions — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Ebi Tama (Shrimp Omelette in Savory Sauce) make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.