Okinawa · 25 min · Meat · Main course · For beginners
Gōya Chanpurū
In English: Goya Champuru
For 2 servings · US units
Bitter melon, tofu, pork belly and egg from one pan – summer cooking from Okinawa
Gōya Chanpurū comes from Okinawa, and it's all about the pleasantly bitter goya, which meets firm tofu, juicy pork belly and loosely set egg in the pan. It's on the table in 25 minutes and belongs to summer, when goya is in season and you want something easy from the pan in the evening.
Ingredients
- 1seeded, cut into slices about 5 mm thick, rubbed with saltAn elongated green gourd with warty skin, crisp when raw and distinctly bitter.Substitute: There is no real substitute, because the bitterness is the reason bitter melon is in the dish. Courgette or green pepper match the bite but strip the dish of its character, so the result is a different dish rather than a variation.Read more
- 7 ozdrained, cut into bite-sized piecesSoy milk curdled and pressed into blocks, mild in flavour and, depending on the type, silky soft to firm enough to slice.Substitute: The types can only partly stand in for each other: firm tofu in place of silken turns grainy in soups and cold dishes and loses its delicacy, while silken tofu falls apart when fried. There is no substitute outside tofu itself.Read more
- 4¼ ozPorkthinly sliced, cut into 4–5 cm pieces
- 1Eggbeaten
- 1 tbspsoy saucefor seasoning
- 1 tbspoilfor frying
- saltfor rubbing the goya and for seasoning
- pepperto taste
- sprinkled on top when serving (optional)Dried, smoked and fermented skipjack tuna shaved into paper-thin flakes, with a smoky, deep, fishy savouriness.Substitute: There is no equivalent substitute, because the smoky fish flavour is unique. For dashi, a plain kombu stock with dried shiitake gives savouriness and is vegetarian, but it tastes milder and earthier and lacks the smoke. Instant dashi granules usually contain bonito themselves and come close, though they are saltier and flatter. As a topping, crumbled nori can stand in, tasting of the sea rather than smoke and without the dancing effect.Read more
- 1 tbspadded with the soy sauce for seasoning (optional)Japanese rice wine, used in cooking mainly to round out flavours, tame fishy notes and add umami.Substitute: Dry sherry or Chinese Shaoxing wine come closest but bring their own stronger flavour; mirin is not a substitute because it is distinctly sweet.Read more
- ½ tspfor seasoning (optional)Instant stock made from dried bonito flakes, usually with kombu, salt and flavour enhancers, sold as granules or powder; dissolved in hot water it becomes Japan's basic stock.Substitute: The best replacement is homemade dashi from kombu and bonito flakes, which tastes more delicate and less salty, so you will need to season more. Kombu alone, or kombu with dried shiitake, makes a fish-free stock but lacks the smoky note. Supermarket chicken or vegetable stock is not a real substitute: the dish stays edible but no longer tastes Japanese.Read more
Method
- Seed and slice the goyaHalve the goya lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and white pith thoroughly with a spoon. Then cut the halves into slices about 5 mm thick.
- Salt to tame the bitternessKnead the goya slices firmly with salt and let them sit for about 5 minutes. Rinse them under cold water and drain well – this takes away some of the bitterness.
- Prep tofu, pork and eggDrain the tofu and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Cut the pork belly into pieces 4–5 cm long and beat the egg in a small bowl.
- Brown the tofuHeat the oil in a frying pan and lightly brown the tofu pieces on both sides.
- Stir-fry goya and porkAdd the goya and pork belly to the pan and stir-fry until the pork is cooked through and the goya is tender but still has some bite.
- Season to tasteSeason with soy sauce; if you like, add the sake and dashi powder too. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.
- Fold in the eggPour the beaten egg evenly over everything, let it set only briefly, then fold it loosely through so it stays soft and moist.
- Plate and serveDivide the Gōya Chanpurū between plates and scatter bonito flakes over the top if you like.
Tips and variations
If you'd like it less bitter, slice the goya thinner. To keep the tofu from breaking up, you can lift it out after browning and return it once the goya and pork are cooked. Frying in sesame oil instead of neutral oil gives the dish a nuttier taste. A quite different version skips the tofu and egg altogether: fry the goya with strips of Spam and potato in butter, seasoned only with salt and pepper. When serving, add the bonito flakes at the very last moment so they still move in the heat.
Allergens
Contains: Eggs, Cereals containing gluten, Soybeans
May contain if you use the optional ingredients: Fish
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
