It may not be pretty, but the taste is simply amazing.

Stir-Fried Tomatoes with Oyster Sauce

By now, you know that I have a love affair with tomatoes. I love growing all kinds of tomato varieties and using the fruit in many different applications. Strangely, I’ve never thought to use them exclusively in a stir-fry. I have recently used them with other vegetables but even then, when I think of Chinese stir fries, I hardly think to use tomatoes.

But recently, I was at a friend’s house and her daughter Phoebe made this stir-fry using only tomatoes. We all loved it, especially my picky eater daughter, Esther. Phoebe told me that she used to make this dish during her college days away from home, so it had to be easy. When she told me what went in it, I was amazed!

Only Oyster (Sauce)

The only seasoning she used in this dish was oyster sauce! The oyster sauce made the tomatoes savory and accentuated the sweet tart flavors of the tomatoes. Seriously folks, this is so simple and yet it was so delicious!

For this dish, I recommend using firmer tomatoes. I would imagine ripe tomatoes would still taste good, they just wouldn’t hold their shape as well. I never have this problem here in Malaysia as tomatoes here are normally much firmer. If we were in California, I would use romas or firm globes that are slightly under-ripe.

Simple Tomato Stir-fry recipe

Ingredients:
4 medium globe tomatoes, chopped into large chunks
2-3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3-4 shallots, halved then thinly sliced
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Method:
1. Heat wok/pan to medium high heat and add vegetable oil.
2. Toss in garlic and shallots and stir-fry till fragrant and a light golden brown on the garlic.

3. Add tomatoes. Give it a quick stir.

4. Add oyster sauce. Mix it into the tomatoes. Tomatoes should be releasing some juices at this point but still retaining some firmness. Do a quick taste. If needed, add more oyster sauce.

Plate up and enjoy!

So that’s the recipe. Just five ingredients and a hot wok. If you love tomatoes and love dishes that take no time at all, go get yourself some tomatoes and make this lickety-split quick!
Cheers, Annie