Omurice (Omelette Rice)

1. Gather all the ingredients. For the cooked rice, please note that ¾ cup (150 g, 1 rice cooker cup) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yields 2¼ US cups (330 g) of cooked rice. See how to cook it with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe. Make sure your cooked rice is at room temperature or slightly warmer. If you‘re using frozen cooked rice, defrost and warm it. Tip: If your cooked rice is still hot, transfer it to a large bowl or baking sheet (for more surface area). Spread it out and set aside for 60 minutes, uncovered, to remove the moisture.

To Make the Ketchup Fried Rice

1. To make the tomato sauce, combine 3 Tbsp ketchup, 3 Tbsp tomato paste, and 2 Tbsp water in a small saucepan and mix all together. Set aside.
2. Clean 4 mushrooms with damp towel and slice them.
3. Slice ¼ onion and dice into small pieces.
4. Cut 4 slices ham and dice into small pieces.
5. In a 10-inch frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp neutral oil. Add the onion and sauté.
6. Add 3 Tbsp green peas, the mushroom slices, and the ham slices.
7. Season with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
8. Add 2 cups cooked Japanese short-grain rice (cooled). Break up the chunks of rice with a spatula.
9. When the rice and ingredients are combined well, add 3–4 Tbsp of the tomato ketchup sauce and mix well. Make sure to save some sauce for the topping. Divide the fried rice in 2 portions.

To Make the Omurice (makes 2)

1. Make one omurice at a time. First, crack 2 eggs in a small bowl and add 1 Tbsp milk and a pinch of salt. Whisk it all together.
2. Heat another frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 Tbsp butter. Swirl the pan to distribute the melted butter, then add the beaten egg.
3. Quickly swirl the egg around the pan with chopsticks. When the mixture is set but still runny, add one portion of ketchup fried rice in the middle. If you feel the pan is getting too hot, remove the pan from the heat and put on top of a damp towel to cool the pan.
4. Wrap the ketchup rice on both sides with the egg omelette. It doesn’t have to be perfectly wrapped, but make sure to create an “edge” around the fried rice with the omelette.
5. Place the serving plate under the pan and invert the pan to transfer the omelette rice.
6. Place a piece of paper towel on top and gently shape the omelette like an American football or rubgy ball. Repeat this process to make the other omurice.

To Serve

1. Top the omurice with some tomato ketchup sauce that‘s either at room temperature or reheated. Garnish the omurice with parsley. Enjoy!

To Store

1. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month.