The Chinese Takeout Cookbook is written by my friend and talented chef Diana Kuan and is where I got the recipe for these beautiful marbled tea eggs. I have been inspired by Diana’s work for sometime on her site, Appetite for China, where she is helping to preserve Chinese cooking traditions through her recipes.
I chose to make the marbled tea eggs because 1) they look amazing and 2) the ingredients used to color the eggs reminded me of how I flavor my chickpeas actually in making channa masala with a tea bag and cinnamon. Diana’s recipe also calls for soy sauce, brown sugar, star anise and black pepper and I added in a couple cloves too. The coloring of the eggs gets more intense, the longer you cook them in the tea mixture. I had limited time so mine are lighter than Diana’s from the book, but still so pretty and tasty!
This is the first giveaway I’m doing on my site and I’m excited that it’s for Diana’s cookbook. In order to be selected to win a free copy of The Chinese Takeout Cookbook, just leave a comment on this post with your favorite Chinese takeout dish. I’ll contact the winner by email.
UPDATE: The winner of The Chinese Takeout Cookbook is Nazneen! Congrats & thanks all for your comments. It was fun to read everyone’s favorite Chinese takeout dish.
recipe courtesy of The Chinese Takeout Cookbook & video courtesy of Appetite for ChinaIngredients
6 to 8 eggs, any size
2 tea bags of black tea
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 pieces star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves (my addition)
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorn (optional)
2 to 3 strips dried mandarin peel (optional)Method
Add enough water to a medium pot to cover the eggs. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer for 10 minutes, until the eggs are hard-boiled.
Remove the eggs with a strainer and run under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Tap the eggs with the back of a butter knife to crack them evenly all around, being careful not to peel off the shells. Return the eggs to the pot.
In the same pot, add the tea bags, soy sauce, brown sugar, star anise, cinnamon, black peppercorns, and orange peel (if using). Add enough water to cover the eggs by an inch. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to a bare simmer. Allow the eggs to simmer for 1 to 2 hours, longer for a more intense flavor and color.
Remove from the heat and drain the eggs, saving a little of the liquid to serve with the eggs if you choose. You can either peel and serve the eggs immediately or store them in the fridge for up to 4 days in a tightly covered container. Serve as a snack as-is or as an addition to rice or noodles.
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steamed buns!
These look amazing and are all kind of genius. Can’t wait to try this. Beautiful pictures!!!
General Tso’s tofu — the best vegetarian food (and probably the least good for you), but it has totally redeemed years of lo meins for me.
Thanks for the gorgeous recipe!
Kung Pao Tofu with brown rice.
I love Chinese food. Dim sum lunches or brunches are my favorite. I love lobster cantonese style, as well as chow fun
I love Beef and Broccoli.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
broccoli in garlic sauce with brown rice
I like vegetable lo meain! I haven’t had Chinese takeout in awhile actually.
this recipe worked great on my eggs! thanks!
Boneless BBQ spare ribs, eaten cold at 3 am!
does chinatown ice cream factory’s black sesame flavor count?
Those eggs look so cool! My favorite is Mongolian Beef.
Wow those eggs look so neat 😀 It’s incredibly hard to choose a favorite dish…hmm….I’d have to say mo shu pork. Even though I loooooove stir fried noodles!
ginger scallion noodles i love !
looking at everyone’s favorite dishes, I had to leave mine:) Sichuan Green Beans!
I 2nd the vote for Kung Pao tofu!
Garlic chicken, or rather chicken with vegetables in garlic sauce…and everything else
Nazneen
Congrats Nazneen, you won the cookbook giveaway!
Tofu and vegetable with brown rice.
Tea eggs look amazing.. Ma-po tofu.
Homemade shrimp New Year dumplings! So fun to sit and make them together, then boil in soup or steam or fry.
Char sui bao are delicious.
Beef and Broccoli and crab rangoon
Sleepyheadedmom at gmail dot com
My apartment is littered with Chinese take-out boxes it would be awesome to learn how to cook it. Great article, it was very interesting!
I will buy this book..
And try this at my chinese restaurants in bangalore