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Fu champuru
麩チャンプルー (fu chanpurū): egg-soaked wheat gluten stir-fried with cabbage, carrot and bean sprouts
Champuru means 'mixed up' in Okinawan and is the islands' everyday stir-fry. Goya champuru with bitter melon is the famous one; fu champuru, made with chewy wheat gluten, is the gentle, child-friendly version many Okinawan families cook several times a week. The fu, large dried rings called kurumabu, is soaked, squeezed and dipped in beaten egg, so as it fries it turns soft, fluffy and golden, a little like French toast. Home cooks often add luncheon meat; ours is vegetarian, with shiitake for savouriness. Serve with rice and miso soup. Chef's tip: squeeze the soaked fu hard before adding the egg. Dry fu drinks up all the egg; wet fu turns soggy.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 1 oz kurumabu (dried wheat gluten rings) in plenty of water for 10 minutes until soft and spongy. Tear into bite-size pieces and squeeze out as much water as you can with both hands.
10 minStep 2: Beat 2 eggs with 1 tsp soy sauce in a bowl. Add the fu and turn it gently until it has soaked up nearly all the egg.
Step 3: Heat ¾ tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the fu, scraping in any leftover egg, and fry for 2–3 minutes, turning, until golden and set on all sides. Tip onto a plate.
3 minStep 4: Add the rest of 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil to the pan and turn the heat to high. Stir-fry 3 fresh shiitake mushrooms and ½ carrot for 1 minute, then add 5 ½ oz white cabbage and fry for 2 minutes until it starts to wilt but still crunches.
3 minStep 5: Add 3 ½ oz bean sprouts and 1 oz garlic chives or spring onions and return the fu. Pour in 2 tbsp kombu-shiitake dashi and 1 tbsp soy sauce and toss for 1 minute. Season with 1 pinch salt and 1 pinch white or black pepper.
1 minStep 6: Common mistake: cooking the bean sprouts too long. They turn limp and watery and dilute the seasoning. Add them last and serve as soon as they're hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fu champuru take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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