Night-Blooming Jasmine Stir-Fried Eggs (Ye Xiang Hua Chao Dan)

Why people make this dish

Night-blooming jasmine (ye xiang hua) is one of those wonderful plants that bridges the world of cooking and gentle wellness. Its soft green flowers, tinged with pale yellow, fill the kitchen with a delicate, sweet fragrance the moment they hit the wok. The classic Cantonese applications are simple: a quick stir-fry with eggs, or a clear soup with fuzzy gourd and pork. The dish takes barely five minutes to cook.

Method

1. Soak the flowers in lightly salted water for a few minutes to clean them. If the flowers are fully open, soak for at least 30 minutes to dislodge any small insects that may be hiding inside. Drain and pat dry.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and beat until smooth.
3. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat.
4. Add the flowers and the beaten egg together.
5. Stir-fry briskly until the eggs are just set — do not overcook. Remove from heat immediately.
6. Serve as a side dish with rice.

Nourilo’s Tips

When buying night-blooming jasmine, look for buds that are still closed or mostly closed, with large, plump florets — these have the best fragrance and texture. Fully open flowers are also fine but must be soaked for at least half an hour in lightly salted water to make sure no small insects are hiding inside. The flowers are available at Chinese or Asian grocery stores, often imported from Southeast Asia, and can also be found online. The key to this dish is restraint in the cooking — the moment the eggs are just set, take the wok off the heat. That preserves the delicate flavour and fragrance of the flowers.