Spam champuru (Okinawan tofu and cabbage stir-fry)
Okinawa’s everyday stir-fry of golden tofu, Spam, cabbage and soft egg, light, savory and cheaper than a sandwich.
- 35 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $1.56 a serving
- 360 calories
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 14 oz extra-firm tofu, 1 package
- 6 oz spam, half a can
- ¼ head green cabbage, about 4 cups sliced
- 1 carrot
- 3 stalks green onions
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
- 2 packages microwave rice pouches, to serve (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 1½ tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 360 calories, 22 g protein, 10 g carbs and 27 g fat, and costs about $1.56 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No extra-firm tofu? Firm tofu works.
- No green cabbage? Red cabbage or coleslaw mix works.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Wrap the tofu in a clean towel and set something heavy on it, like a skillet, for 10 minutes to press out the water.
Timer: 10 min
Dolly’s tip: Pressed tofu browns. Wet tofu splatters and steams.While it presses, the Spam into thin strips and the cabbage into 1-inch ribbons.
Slice. Slicing means cutting food into flat pieces of about the same thickness. Even slices cook evenly, so none are raw while others burn.
How you’ll know: Lay a few side by side: they’re close to the same thickness from one end to the other.
Cut the carrot into thin matchsticks and the green onions into 2-inch pieces.
Beat the eggs.
Tear the tofu into bite-size chunks.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large over medium-high and the tofu 5 to 6 minutes, turning, until golden in spots.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 6 min
Food safety: Tofu is safe to eat straight from the package; cooking is only for texture and flavor.
Move it to a plate.
Add the Spam and fry 3 minutes, until the edges are browned.
Medium-high heatTimer: 3 min
Food safety: Rotisserie chicken, deli meat, canned tuna and cooked shrimp are already cooked. Keep them cold until you use them, and heat them until steaming hot if the recipe warms them.
Add the rest of the oil, the carrot and cabbage, and 3 to 4 minutes, until .
Stir-fry. Stir-frying means cooking small pieces fast over high heat in a little oil, stirring almost constantly. It moves quickly, so have everything chopped and ready before the pan gets hot.
How you’ll know: It sizzles loudly the whole time, and the vegetables turn bright and tender-crisp in minutes.
Tender-crisp. Tender-crisp means vegetables cooked until just tender but still with a little snap. They keep their bright color and crunch instead of going soft and dull.
How you’ll know: A fork goes in with slight resistance, and the color is bright, not olive or gray.
Medium-high heatTimer: 4 min
Return the tofu, add the soy sauce and pepper, and to combine.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Medium-high heat
Push everything to one side, pour the eggs into the empty space, and stir gently for about 1 minute, until just set. them through.
Fold. Folding means mixing gently by scooping from the bottom and turning it over the top, instead of stirring hard. It keeps light mixtures airy and soft things like berries or herbs in one piece.
How you’ll know: You use slow, wide strokes and stop as soon as there are no streaks left.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min
Food safety: For the safest eggs, cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks begin to thicken. Dishes made with eggs are done at 160°F.
in the green onions and sesame oil and serve with rice, if you like.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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