Goya canpuru is bitter melon stir fry. It's considered the representative dish of Okinawa prefecture. It includes pork belly, firm tofu and eggs. You can take a lot of nutrition from it, and it's so delicious. Bitter melon and other ingredients are good combination. Pork belly and bonito flake add the umami flavor. And Tofu and eggs make the dish mild. Nicely balanced flavor is addictive. Now is the best season for bitter melon, so it's one of the popular main dishes in Japan especially in summer. When you use tofu for stir-fry food, draining it is important. The food will be not watery and you can reduce the amount of condiment, for example soy sauce.
Prepare the plate with a steel colander. Wrap the tofu with 2 to 3 sheets of paper towels, and put it on the colander.
Put a weight on it by using three times of tofu. Use water of 3 times of tofu. Let it sit for 1 hour to drain the water of it.
Cut the bitter gourd in half lengthwise, and remove the inner white pith with a spoon.
Cut it into 3mm pieces.
In a bowl, mix the bitter melon and salt with chopsticks. Let it sit for 10 minutes. TIPS: remove the bitterness, and make it mild.
Cut the pork belly into 4cm pieces.
Mix the pork belly, salt, white pepper, and mix them.
Add sake and rice flour to the pork belly, and mix them all.
Throw away the water from the bitter melon in the bowl, and rinse quickly in cold water.
Place the bitter melon on paper towels. Put paper towels on them, and wipe off the water of the surfaces.
Beat the egg in a bowl.
Wipe off the moisture of the tofu with paper towels. Put 1 teaspoon of oil in a frying pan, and heat it up. Tear the firm tofu into bite size pieces with your hands, and add them to the pan.
Stir fry the tofu on medium heat until turned brown. TIPS: It's important to evaporate the water of them, and sear them. Remove the tofu.
Add the 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan, and heat it up. Add beaten egg, and stir roughly to cook evenly. Before solidify completely, remove it. TIPS: Like this picture, It's ok to be still soft.
Add 1 teaspoon of oil, and heat it up. Stir fry the pork belly on medium heat until golden brown.
Remove the pork belly, and wipe off the excess grease.
Put 1 teaspoon of oil, and heat it up. Stir fry the bitter melon on medium heat until turned soft. TIPS: Not overcook them to remain the texture.
Return firm tofu and pork belly. Add soy sauce and mirin. Mix them.
After checking the taste, add the egg, and mix them lightly.
Dish up it on a plate, and add the bonito flake on the top.
Serving Size 2
Servings 0