Bitter Melon Stir-fry with Tofu and Ground Pork

Traditionally, goya champuru features bitter melon, pork belly slices, egg, and firm tofu scrambled together. My version is based on Elizabeth Andoh’s interpretation in her Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen cookbook. Her take is already lighter than the classic, and from there, I make a few additional changes that I’ll share below. The idea is not to replicate the dish exactly but to give you inspiration to create a version that suits your own taste

In all bitter melon stir-fries I have seen, the gourd is sliced into thin half-moons. However, my local Japanese restaurant does something different: they slice the bitter melon extremely thin, almost into ribbons. This technique reduces the bitterness significantly and gives the stir-fry an enjoyable crisp-tender texture. It does require time and care to shave the melon this thin, so don’t feel pressured to go that far. Simply slicing it as thinly as you comfortably can will already make a noticeable difference.

• 12 oz bitter melons (about 2 medium bitter melons)
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided (to taste)
• 10 oz soft tofu
• cooking oil
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced with white and green parts separated
• 2.5 oz ground pork
• 2 teaspoons sake
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• black pepper