This is Chef Kasahara's "Goya Champuru Fried Rice" recipe, designed to be enjoyed even by those who dislike the bitterness of bitter melon. The mildly bitter goya, spam, eggs, and tofu create a perfect harmony of flavors, resulting in an incredibly easy-to-eat dish. Try this new style of fried rice that might just become an Okinawan classic!
Ingredients
Main Ingredients (2 servings)
- Bitter Melon (Goya) 1
- Green Onion 1/3
- Spam 1/2 can
- Firm Tofu 1/2 block
- Eggs 2
- Cooked Rice 500g (approx. 2.5 cups)
- Vegetable Oil 1.5 tbsp
Seasonings
- [A] Soy Sauce 1 tbsp
- [A] Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) 1 tbsp
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
Steps
- Cut the bitter melon in half, remove the seeds and pith.
- Dice the bitter melon into 1cm cubes.
- Pour boiling water over the diced bitter melon and let it sit for about 15 minutes, then drain the water. This is the key! This method helps to remove the bitterness and cooks the goya slightly, speeding up the subsequent cooking process.
- Finely chop the green onion. This is the key! Don't cut all the way to the end; make diagonal cuts partway through, then repeat from the other side using a similar motion. This "pleated" cutting technique naturally results in fine chopping.
- Dice the spam into 1cm cubes.
- Pat dry the firm tofu with paper towels.
- Lightly beat the eggs.
- Heat 0.5 tbsp of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the 1/2 block of firm tofu (drained and torn into bite-sized pieces) and cook.
- Sear the tofu until golden brown, then remove it from the pan.
- Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to the same pan and stir-fry the bitter melon and spam over medium heat until slightly softened.
- Pour in the beaten eggs all at once. While the eggs are still half-cooked, add the warm 500g of cooked rice and break it up, mixing it with the eggs. This is the key! Using warm rice helps to achieve a fluffy texture. Cold rice tends to clump.
- Add about a pinch of salt and continue to stir-fry. This is the key! Spread the rice evenly in the pan, let it cook for a moment, then flip it over to cook both sides for better flavor. Only stir-fry vigorously when adding ingredients or seasonings.
- Once everything is broken up and stir-fried, add the reserved tofu and the chopped green onions. Stir-fry briefly to combine. This is the key! Green onions can burn easily, so stir-frying them just until fragrant releases their flavor without making them mushy.
- Pour 1 tbsp of soy sauce and 1 tbsp of mirin (sweet rice wine) along the sides of the pan. Let it bubble and then toss everything together to coat. The aroma will become fragrant.
- Transfer to a plate and serve. Enjoy!
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