Tofu Chanpuru (Okinawan Stir-Fry)
豆腐チャンプルー（卵なし） · Tofu Chanpuru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Chanpuru is Okinawa's everyday stir-fry, and the word itself means "mixed together" in the local dialect. This egg-free version tosses parboiled firm tofu with pork and colorful vegetables in a light, savory seasoning of soy sauce and chicken stock, with a handful of katsuobushi stirred in at the end for extra umami. Parboiling the tofu firms it up so it holds its shape in the pan, and coating the pork in potato starch keeps it tender and easy for little ones to chew.
Wheat-free, but uses soy sauce (made with wheat). Japanese school-lunch allergy menus usually allow it, so check with your doctor. How to read the labels
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 40.5 gfirm tofu
- 27 gthinly sliced pork (komagire)Small, thin offcuts of pork sold in Japan for quick stir-fries and simmered dishes. Substitute: Thinly sliced pork shoulder or loin cut into bite-size pieces.
- 14.3 ggreen bell pepper
- 6 gcarrot
- 14.3 gonion
Seasonings
- 0.3 gginger paste (tube)Grated ginger sold ready to use in a squeeze tube, a staple in Japanese kitchens. Japanese school lunch kitchens grate fresh ginger for its aroma, but for cooking at home Aoi says the tube works just fine. Tube pastes often contain added salt, oil and other ingredients, so check the label. Substitute: Use freshly grated ginger in the same amount. 1 teaspoon of paste is about 5 g.
- 1.2 gsakeSake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
- 0.8 gpotato starch (katakuriko)Japanese potato starch used for thickening sauces and coating fried foods. Substitute: Cornstarch: start with the same amount and add a little more if it is still thin. It thickens a little less than potato starch and needs a couple of minutes at a gentle bubble to reach full thickness.
- 2.3 gvegetable oil
- 0.1 gsalt
- 0.4 gchicken stock powder (Chinese-style)Japanese granulated chicken bone soup base used for Chinese-style soups and stir-fries. Substitute: Chicken bouillon granules or powder.
- 1 gsoy sauce
- 0.8 gkatsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked skipjack tuna that add a savory, smoky depth as a topping or stock base. Substitute: A pinch of dashi powder, or omit.
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- thinly sliced pork (komagire) (豚こま切れ肉)
- Small, thin offcuts of pork sold in Japan for quick stir-fries and simmered dishes. Substitute: Thinly sliced pork shoulder or loin cut into bite-size pieces.
- ginger paste (tube) (しょうがチューブ)
- Grated ginger sold ready to use in a squeeze tube, a staple in Japanese kitchens. Japanese school lunch kitchens grate fresh ginger for its aroma, but for cooking at home Aoi says the tube works just fine. Tube pastes often contain added salt, oil and other ingredients, so check the label. Substitute: Use freshly grated ginger in the same amount. 1 teaspoon of paste is about 5 g.
- sake (酒)
- Sake (Japanese rice wine) is used in small amounts to soften the smell of fish and meat and add depth. Japanese "cooking sake" often contains added salt. Some alcohol can remain after short cooking. If you prefer no alcohol for children, use the substitute. Substitute: The same amount of water (the taste will be a little simpler), or dry white wine.
- potato starch (katakuriko) (かたくり粉)
- Japanese potato starch used for thickening sauces and coating fried foods. Substitute: Cornstarch: start with the same amount and add a little more if it is still thin. It thickens a little less than potato starch and needs a couple of minutes at a gentle bubble to reach full thickness. Read the guide: Katakuriko (Japanese Potato Starch) and What to Use Instead → Guide: japanese-school-lunch.com/articles/katakuriko-potato-starch/
- chicken stock powder (Chinese-style) (鶏ガラスープの素)
- Japanese granulated chicken bone soup base used for Chinese-style soups and stir-fries. Substitute: Chicken bouillon granules or powder.
- katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (かつお削り節)
- Paper-thin shavings of dried, smoked skipjack tuna that add a savory, smoky depth as a topping or stock base. Substitute: A pinch of dashi powder, or omit.
Directions
- 1
Cut the tofu into 1.5 cm cubes and parboil. Cut the pork into 1 to 2 cm pieces and rub in the ginger and sake. Add the potato starch and mix.
- 2
Cut the green bell pepper and carrot into short, thin rectangular strips. Halve the onion and slice it thinly into half-length pieces.
- 3
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the vegetables from step 2 and stir-fry well until softened. Add the pork and stir-fry.
- 4
Add the tofu, salt, chicken stock powder and soy sauce and stir-fry. Turn off the heat and stir in the katsuobushi.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 114 kcal | 228 kcal | 114 kcal |
| Protein | 9.5 g | 18.9 g | 9.5 g |
| Fat | 6.9 g | 13.8 g | 6.9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3.9 g | 7.8 g | 3.9 g |
| Fiber | 1 g | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Calcium | 45 mg | 90 mg | 45 mg |
| Iron | 0.8 mg | 1.5 mg | 0.8 mg |
| Potassium | 216 mg | 432 mg | 216 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 114 kcal | 9.5 g | 6.9 g | 3.9 g | 1 g | 0.2 g | 45 mg | 0.8 mg | 216 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 228 kcal | 18.9 g | 13.8 g | 7.8 g | 2.1 g | 0.3 g | 90 mg | 1.5 mg | 432 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
