← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 1 bitter melon (goya), about 250–300 g, halved lengthways, seeds and pith scooped out, sliced 5 mm thick
• 1 tsp salt, for the bitter melon
• 300 g firm tofu, pressed and torn into bite-size chunks
• 150 g thinly sliced pork belly, cut into 4 cm pieces
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1½ tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Sake
• ¼ tsp salt, for seasoning
• 1 pinch Black pepper
• 5 g bonito flakes (katsuobushi), plus extra to serve

Method

1. Toss the sliced bitter melon with 1 tsp salt and leave it for 10 min to draw out some bitterness. Rinse briefly and squeeze dry in your hands.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the tofu chunks for 4–5 min, turning now and then, until golden on most sides. Lift them onto a plate.
3. Add the pork belly to the pan and stir-fry for 2–3 min until the fat runs and the edges brown. Add the bitter melon and stir-fry for 2 min more, so it turns bright green but keeps a little crunch.
4. Return the tofu, then season with the soy sauce, sake, remaining salt and pepper. Toss for 30 seconds.
5. Pour the beaten egg around the pan and let it set for a few seconds, then fold everything gently so the egg forms soft curds that cling to the vegetables.
6. Turn off the heat, drizzle with sesame oil and toss through the bonito flakes. Serve hot with rice and more bonito on top.

Tips

• Thinner slices and a longer salting make it milder; Okinawans like the bitterness, so start with less salting if you are a fan.
• Spam or canned luncheon meat is a very common Okinawan swap for the pork belly.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook RecipeTin Japan