Ni-tamago け玉子 (Lava egg)

Ni-tamago or simply lava egg is easily identified by it's solid egg white, soft and runny yolk and the brown appearance brought about by the marinating process.

If you were to google, you will find many ways to prepare these lava eggs which are usually serve in Ramen. Some says add a pinch of salt to the boiling water to prevent the eggs from cracking and others say to plunge the cooked eggs into a pot of ice-water with vinegar so that the shell can be peel off easily. Some used refrigerated eggs while some used normal temperature eggs. No matter which way you are comfortable with, you'll get the same cheap cheap home-made lava eggs.

Im going to do it MY WAY (Cross reference between Wokkingmum and Evan's Kitchen), the non-authentic way without the use of mirin, brown sugar, ginger or ice yet achieving the result that I want, that is, the deeper brown akin braised egg but then being less salty. All because I fancy less salty stuff and I'd wanted the deep brown for my Domokun egg-cellent idea.  

Main Ingredients:

- 2 refrigerated eggs (each egg approx. 55g)

The marinade (enough to soak 4 eggs):

- 1 + 1/4 + 1/4 cups drinking water

- 3 tbs light soy sauce

- 3 tbs dark soy sauce

- 1 tbs sugar

- A bowl of cool tap water (for cooling down the eggs after cooking)

1) Boil a pot of water just enough to submerge the eggs. You may want to add a pinch of salt to prevent the eggs from cracking but I didn't add any. When the water is bring to boil, lower the heat and slowly and gently lower the eggs into the water using a spoon or ladle. Cook the eggs for 6 minutes without the cover. Best not to exceed 6.5 minutes. Do use a timer.

2) Place cooked eggs into the bowl of cool tap water and just leave it there till you are ready to crack them while you prepare the marinade.

3) Bring 1/4 cups of water to boil to melt the sugar. If you have a thermal pot with hot water in it, just use that. The hot water is needed just to dissolve the sugar.

4) Pour the sugar solution into the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and 1 + 1/4 cups of drinking water mix and stir well.

5) Crack the eggs with a teaspoon with a gentle tapping motion and peel off the shell. Place the de-shelled eggs into the marinade. Make sure you use a deeper container so that each eggs can be fully submerge in the marinade. And by all means, use a ziplog bag or bowl to contain the eggs and the marinade. The idea is to have the eggs fully soak in the marinade. U don't wanna get a patchy looking egg, don't you? :)

6) Seal it and store it overnight in the fridge.

I did it at 11pm on Fri and cut it up at 11am on this morning, a whole 12 hours to get this result and I'm very pleased with it.

So I'm sharing with you here the mirin, brown sugar, ginger and ice-water free version of doing the non-authentic lava eggs.

Enjoy!

Click here for a step-by-step tutorial.