Recipe: Gōya Champurū

 by Justin Sato

 
 

Q&A with Chef Justin Sato, Ikoi No Kai (Portland, OR)

Ikoi No Kai, meaning “a place of rest,” is a beloved community lunch program founded in 1979 by Portland’s Japanese American elders. Operating out of Epworth United Methodist Church, it brings people together over homestyle Japanese meals prepared with care by volunteer chefs, celebrating food, culture, and connection across generations.

Which bitter gourd type are you most familiar with? 
I’m familiar with the smoother light green, warty white, warty dark green types, we use them for different purposes. The rough skin white and green we call Okinawan bitter melon because we used to get that from Okinawa. 

What name did you use for bitter gourd in your home?
We call it “goya” or “nigagori” (bitter gourd)

What are your childhood memories of bitter gourd?
I loved eating it at the Chinese restaurants when we’d go out and eating it prepared at home. I remember cooking with my grandma and learning how to reduce some of the bitterness and blending it with other foods to match the flavors. 

How do you use it now?
I cook it at home for my family, mostly in a champuru which is a stir-fry. But I also pickle the end cuts with other vegetables. 

What dish do you love it in?
Stuffed bitter melon with fermented black bean. I think it’s one of my favorite ways to eat it, and one of the first preparations I recall having when I was really young. 

Gōya Champurū

This is an Okinawan dish that I grew up eating. The oily saltiness of the spam compliments the bitter melon perfectly. It’s sometimes made with crispy pork belly instead of spam.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb Okinawan bitter gourd

  • 2 lb tofu

  • 1 can of spam

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic

  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger

  • 1 tablespoon shoyu

  • 3 tablespoons sake or awamori 

  • 2 cups of dashi or chicken broth 

  • 2 beaten eggs

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Katsuobushi (bonito flakes)

  • Oil for cooking

Process

Prepare ingredients

Slice the bitter gourd in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut into ¼-inch half-rings and soak in water to reduce bitterness.
Slice the tofu and Spam into long strips about 2 x ¼ x ¼ inches.

Stir-fry

Heat a wok or large stir-fry pan over high heat and add vegetable oil.
When the oil just begins to smoke, add the Spam and toss until lightly browned.

Add aromatics and vegetables

Add the tofu, garlic, ginger, and bitter gourd. Toss gently to combine.

Season and simmer

Pour in the awamori (or sake) and allow the alcohol to burn off briefly. Add the shoyu and dashi. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook until the bitter gourd is tender and the liquid has reduced.

Finish

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently stir in the beaten eggs; the eggs will thicken the liquid. Once the eggs are fully cooked, remove from heat.

Serve

Top generously with katsuobushi and serve hot.