What is Goya Champuru?

Okinawa’s signature stir-fry of bitter melon, firm tofu, pork, and egg — humble food from the island of long life.

Where does Goya Champuru come from?

Goya Champuru is a Japanese (Okinawan) dish from Okinawa, Japan.

Can Goya Champuru be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Goya Champuru recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Goya Champuru take to make?

About 25 minutes total (15 minutes prep, 10 minutes cooking), serving 2.

Recipe

Name: Goya Champuru
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese (Okinawan)
Ingredients: 1 goya (bitter melon), halved, seeded, thin-sliced; 10 oz extra-firm tofu, torn into chunks; 4 oz thin-sliced pork belly; 2 eggs, beaten; 1.5 tbsp soy sauce; a handful bonito flakes; 1 tbsp each neutral oil + sesame oil; for degorging the goya salt

Asia → 🇯🇵 Japan → Okinawa

Goya Champuru

Japanese (Okinawan) · easy · serves 2

prep 15 min · cook 10 min

~377 cal · 33g protein · 3g carbs · 27g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Stir-fry of bitter melon, tofu, and pork flecked with egg

🇯🇵 Okinawa

Champuru means "something mixed" in Okinawan, a word — and a philosophy — for the island’s blended culture. Goya, the warty bitter melon, is beloved here and credited (along with plenty of tofu) as a reason Okinawans famously live so long.

Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 2 —

•

1 goya (bitter melon), halved, seeded, thin-sliced

•

10 oz extra-firm tofu, torn into chunks

•

4 oz thin-sliced pork belly

•

2 eggs, beaten

•

1.5 tbsp soy sauce

•

a handful bonito flakes

•

1 tbsp each neutral oil + sesame oil

•

for degorging the goya salt

Instructions

Salt the goya slices 10 minutes, squeeze, and rinse — this tames (but shouldn’t erase) the bitterness.

Sear the tofu chunks in hot oil until golden at the edges; set aside.

Stir-fry the pork (or shiitake) until crisp, then the goya for 2 minutes — it should stay bright and snappy.

Return the tofu, season with soy, and stream the beaten egg over everything, folding just until set.

Finish with sesame oil and a flurry of bonito (or nori). Eat with rice, ideally with an ocean view.

Okinawan home cooking.

Ratings & reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to cook it.

🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Okinawa. The island of longevity, bitter melon, and champuru culture.

🗺️

Japan. An archipelago obsessed with seasonality and craft.

🌍

Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →