I first made a Kimchi and Cheddar omelet back in 2021 from Alison Roman’s “Dining in Cookbook.” See https://cookingwithauntjuju.com/?s=kimchi+and+cheddar+omelette&submit=Search.
Recently, NYT Cooking posted another version by different authors and the syrup got my attention so I decided to give it a try. As the author states “there is a delicate balance of flavors – sweet, salty, spicy – and textures – soft crunchy, sticky.” To begin with the syrup is just delicious and really makes this omelet extra special. Toast some black mustard seeds – you will love this too! This recipe is from Ilene Rosen, adapted by Melissa Clark and further adapted by me.
By the way, “omelet – American English or omelette – British English.” Use whatever you are comfortable with. This recipe used “omelet” and the recipe in 2021 used “omelette.”
Kimchi Omelet with Sriracha Syrup
Syrup:
- 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1-2 tsp. sriracha hot sauce, or to taste – I only used 1 tsp. but I could have added more – use any hot sauce – I went with the author’s suggestion
Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucpan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer until the mixture has reduced by half – 6 to 8 minutes. I might reduce it more to make it thicker. Remove from the heat and stir in the sriracha sauce.
Black Mustard Seeds: place mustard seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium heat (or higher) and toast for a few minutes. stirring occasionally. The seeds will sputter and pop and they will smell nutty, like hazelnuts. The toasted seeds become crunchy and make a nice garnish for many recipes.
Omelet:
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup kimchi, coarsely chopped
- 2 large eggs, or 1/2 cup Egg Beaters
- salt and pepper (optional – I did not add)
- I added 2 tbsp. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- toasted black mustard seeds to garnish
- parsley or cilantro to garnish
Warm the oil in a small non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped kimchi and cook for just 30-60 seconds to warm the kimchi. Add the eggs (Egg Beaters) and quickly scramble the mixture with a fork. Pat flat with a spatula and cook until almost set, 1 to 2 minutes. This did not look like an omelet but scrambled eggs. Season if necessary.
Slide the omelet onto a plate, folding half of it over the filling. This did not work for me so I just left them as is. Still delicious but did not look as good as my recipe from 2021. Drizzle with sriracha syrup (you will love this) and garnish with toasted black mustard seeds and parsley/cilantro.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
What an interesting combination of flavors! I am sure the sauce makes the dish; it sounds really good. I am guessing you could use any kind of vegetables in the omelet and not just kimchi? – I bet the sauce would jazz up any egg/veggie dish. Very creative!
The omelet was delicious to begin with, adding the syrup took it over the top. The mustard seeds also gave it a pop of flavor and texture. Sure, you could sub any veggies for the kimchi but the recipe worked and I probably will kick it up by adding more hot sauce 🙂
This delicious recipe reminded me I didn’t use kimchi for quite a while, even though I’m a big fan of it. Time to get some and make this omelet! 🙂
For me this omelet is a really good recipe – I prefer this version with the syrup and black mustard seeds. Also, I will either leave it as scrambled eggs or cook it like I did in my Dec. 2021 post so it looks like an omelet 🙂
I’m sure I’ll like it either way! 🙂
kimchi omelette? wow sounds amazing as does that syrup. Reminds me of an asian omelette that gets served with a broth over it. cheers sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
That’s basically this recipe! Kimchi, rice vinegar and I could have used a Korean hot sauce. The syrup was more of a sauce as it wasn’t very thick 🙂
Aunt Juju, what a simple and delicious recipe! I made this for dinner tonight and I loved it. The sriracha syrup was the perfect topping for an omelet. I loved how the cheese balanced the kimchi. We didn’t have any mustard seeds for crunch but I’ll make sure to buy those before making this again. Thank you!
Thanks Al – the syrup/sauce is really tasty and takes this omelet/scrambled eggs over the top. The black mustard seeds are a nice addition as they add a different layer of flavor and a little crunch. My contribution to this recipe was the cheese so I am glad you liked it 🙂