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Chinese · Cantonese

Chinese steamed egg custard

Non-vegetarian

蒸水蛋 · zhēng shuǐ dàn

Eggs beaten with warm stock and steamed gently into a smooth, wobbly custard, finished with soy sauce, sesame oil and spring onion.

Chinese steamed egg custard is a Chinese egg dish from China, ready in about 19 minutes and made with egg and chicken stock. It serves 2 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking
Bowl of silky Chinese steamed egg custard with spring onion
Photo: Andy Li / Wikimedia Commons · CC0-1.0
Prep
5 min
Cook
12 min
Rest
2 min
Total
19 min
Serves
2
Level
Beginner
Calories
179

Ingredients

2 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Beat the eggs (opens in a new tab) with the salt, then stir in the warm stock (about 1½ times the volume of egg). Pour through a sieve into a shallow heatproof dish and skim off any bubbles.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Cover the dish with a plate or foil and steam over gently simmering water for 10–12 minutes, until set with only a slight wobble in the centre.

    Gentle heat gives a mirror-smooth surface; fierce steam creates holes.

  3. Step 3

    Rest for 2 minutes, then drizzle with soy sauce (opens in a new tab) and sesame oil (opens in a new tab) and scatter over the spring onion (opens in a new tab).

    • 2 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
China · Well documentedAlso popular in Taiwan, Malaysia, SingaporeMore food from China
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Egg dishes · Side dishes
Cooking method
Steamed
Taste
mild, umami, savoury
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein
With the listed swaps: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, PescatarianWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Everyday · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Egg · Chicken stock · Soy sauce · Toasted sesame oil
Techniques
Simmering · Steaming

Allergens

  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil
  • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

179 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 219 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 30%
  • Carbohydrate 13%
  • Fat 57%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy179 kcal82 kcal
Protein13.3 g6.1 g
Carbohydrate5.6 g2.6 g
Net carbohydrate5.5 g2.5 g
Sugars2.4 g1.1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0 g0 g
Fat11.1 g5.1 g
Saturated fat3.1 g1.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol283 mg129 mg
Sodium902 mg413 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
270 mg
Calcium
48 mg
Iron
1.7 mg
Magnesium
19 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
121 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
1.5 µg
Vitamin B12
0.7 µg
Folate (DFE)
43 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: spring onion.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Add a few prawns or a spoonful of minced pork to the dish before steaming for a heartier version.

Common mistakes

  • Using hot stock, which partly cooks the eggs and makes the custard grainy.

Serve with

  • Spoon over plain rice.

Storage

  • Best eaten fresh.

Variations

  • Three-colour eggs: Steam fresh egg together with diced century egg and salted egg.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Egg3 piece · 150 g
Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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