---
title: "Zheng Shui Dan"
description: "Chinese steamed egg. Eggs are beaten with warm water and gently steamed until they set into a soft, smooth custard. Serve with a little soy sauce and sesame oil."
category: "Sides"
cuisine: "Chinese"
serves: "2 people"
prep: "5 mins"
cook: "12 mins"
author: "Thomas Chaplin"
site: "Chaplin Kitchen"
url: "https://chaplinkitchen.com/r/zheng-shui-dan/"
datePublished: "2026-10-04T18:51:38+01:00"
dateModified: "2026-10-04T18:51:38+01:00"
---

# Zheng Shui Dan

Chinese steamed egg. Eggs are beaten with warm water and gently steamed until they set into a soft, smooth custard. Serve with a little soy sauce and sesame oil.

**Category:** Sides · **Cuisine:** Chinese · **Serves:** 2 people · **Prep:** 5 mins · **Cook:** 12 mins

**Recipe URL:** https://chaplinkitchen.com/r/zheng-shui-dan/

## Ingredients

- 3 large eggs
- 225g warm water _(or chicken or vegetable stock)_
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 spring onion _(finely sliced)_

## Method

1. **Weigh the eggs.** Crack the eggs into a jug on the scales and note their weight out of the shell — 3 large eggs come to about 150g.
2. **Beat the eggs.** Beat them gently with the salt until evenly mixed, without whipping in air.
3. **Add the water.** Stir in one and a half times the eggs' weight of warm water or stock — so 50g of egg takes 75g, and 150g takes 225g.
4. **Strain the mixture.** Pour the egg mixture through a fine sieve into a shallow heatproof bowl, then skim or pop any bubbles left on the surface.
5. **Cover the bowl.** Cover the bowl with a plate or a sheet of foil so condensation cannot drip onto the eggs.
6. **Steam gently.** Steam over a gentle simmer for 10–12 minutes, until the centre is just set and wobbles as one piece when the bowl is nudged.
7. **Season and serve.** Drizzle over the light soy sauce and sesame oil, scatter with the spring onion and serve straight away with rice.

## Notes

- Use water that is warm rather than hot — hot water starts cooking the eggs before they reach the steamer.
- Weighing the eggs and keeping to 1:1.5 is more reliable than going by egg count, since eggs vary in size; up to double the water gives an even softer set.
- If the surface comes out pitted with holes, the heat was too high: turn it down to a bare simmer next time, or wedge a chopstick under the lid to let some steam out.
- Chicken or vegetable stock in place of the water gives a richer flavour — leave out the salt if the stock is already seasoned.