Goya champul (goya chanpul) is a delicious stir-fry made of thinly sliced goya (bitter gourd), tofu, and eggs. Sometimes Spam, chunk tuna, or thinly sliced pork is added. The dish is topped with bonito flakes (katsuobushi) and a little bit of Okinawa-style hot sauce called koregusu (コーレーグースー). Koregusu is made from awamori (a strong drink resembling vodka) and hot peppers.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large goya (bitter gourd)
  
• 1 package firm tofu
  (Okinawa-style shima-dofu is best, but regular firm tofu can be used instead)
  
• 2 eggs
• salad oil
• sea salt
• bonito flakes
• koregusu (コーレーグースー)
• piyashi spice (ぴーやし、フィファーチ、ヒハチ、ピパーツ) (a unique peppery spice from Okinawa's southern Yaeyama Islands)
  

Directions

1. Cut the goya in half length-wise. Use a spoon to remove the inner pith (the foamy white part with seeds).
   Hint: Short video on YouTube showing how to prepare a goya for cooking
   
2. Slice the goya into slices about 2-3 mm thick
3. Wrap the tofu in paper towels to absorb some of the excess liquid. If you want to remove even more water from the tofu, heat the wrapped tofu in the microwave for about 30+ seconds, or place a plate and weight on top of the tofu and let sit until the water is drained a little more (be careful not to use too heavy a weight or the tofu will lose its shape)
   
4. Break the tofu into large chunks
   (Break the tofu by hand instead of cutting it. The rough edges of the hand-broken pieces absorb the flavor better.)
5. Lightly beat the eggs in a separate bowl
6. Heat a little oil in a wok
7. Add the sliced goya and heat for a few minutes (do not stir too much)
   
8. Add the tofu and heat through, stirring every so often
9. Sprinkle on a little sea salt to taste
   
10. Pour the beaten eggs over the goya and tofu and gently mix
11. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the bonito flakes on top
    
12. Gently mix then arrange on a large dish
    
13. Serve with a little koregusu and piyashi