Tofu Chanpuru (Okinawan Tofu Stir-Fry)
豆腐チャンプルー · Tofu Chanpuru
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Chanpuru is Okinawa's signature stir-fry, a colorful jumble of tofu, meat, vegetables and egg tossed together in one pan. The best-known version uses bitter melon (goya), but for the preschool kitchen we swap in sweet green bell pepper, carrot and onion so that even small children enjoy it. Parboiling the tofu firms it up and helps it hold its shape, while a light coating of potato starch keeps the pork tender. A finishing handful of katsuobushi adds gentle savory depth without extra salt, so kids clean their plates.
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
- 16.5 gegg
- 0.1 gsalt
- 0.5 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.
- 1.2 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
Video is in Japanese and may show a different version of this dish (other ingredients or steps). Follow the ingredients and steps on this page, especially when cooking for allergies.
- 1
Cut the tofu into 1.5 cm cubes and parboil it. Cut the pork into 1 to 2 cm pieces and rub in the ginger and sake. Add the potato starch and mix well.
- 2
Cut the green bell pepper and carrot into thin rectangular strips, and thinly slice the onion, cutting the slices to half length.
- 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, then pour in the beaten egg and stir-fry until set. Turn off the heat and mix in the katsuobushi.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 138 kcal | 276 kcal | 138 kcal |
| Protein | 11.4 g | 22.8 g | 11.4 g |
| Fat | 8.6 g | 17.1 g | 8.6 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 | 52.5 mg | 105 mg | 52.5 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg | 2.1 mg | 1 mg |
| Potassium | 237 mg | 474 mg | 237 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 138 kcal | 11.4 g | 8.6 g | 3.9 g | 1 g | 0.2 g | 52.5 mg | 1 mg | 237 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 276 kcal | 22.8 g | 17.1 g | 7.8 g | 2.1 g | 0.3 g | 105 mg | 2.1 mg | 474 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.
