Cooking Up Tasty Okinawan Favorites

This week we’re in the kitchen cooking up some Okinawan favorites from Aloha Tofu.

This show aired originally in May 2008.

SA-TA ANDAGI

* 5 large eggs
* 1/2 block butter (melted and cooled)
* 1/3 cup Carnation evaporated milk, mixed with equal amounts of water to make 2/3 cup
* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
* 3 cups sugar
* pinch salt
* 2 teaspoon baking powder
* 6 cups flour (add more if texture is too soft)

Beat eggs; add vanilla and sugar to eggs and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, salt and baking powder.

Add milk mixture to egg mixture and slowly add in flour, cup by cup, and mix well. After 3 cups, add melted butter. From this point on, gently fold in the rest of the flour. Folding in the flour at this point by hand seems to be the best way. If you need to add more flour for consistency purposes, feel free to do so. It won’t ruin the recipe if you add a little more.

Drop batter into hot oil (335 degrees) with a tablespoon or a 1-ounce ice cream scoop, or if you want to be adventurous, try the traditional Okinawan way: with your hands. Cook for approximately 9-11 minutes. But, like anything else, look at the color or poke a toothpick into the andagi to see if it comes out clean; if it does, it is ready.

TOFU CHANPURU

* 1/2 block firm tofu
* 1/4 pound pork butt, large julienne-cut (boiled in water with a little awamori or sake, garlic and ginger)
* 3/4 cup cabbage, cut in 1-inch cubes
* 1 cup bean sprouts
* 1/2 cup carrots, julienne-cut
* 1 cup won bok, cut into 1-inch cubes
* 3/4 cup green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

For Seasoning:

* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon hondashi
* 1 tablespoon shoyu (preferably Yamasa)
* 1 teaspoon sugar

Slice tofu in half and wrap in paper towels (repeat process twice if necessary to extract as much water as possible).

Heat frying pan or wok on medium high and add vegetable oil. Slice or tear tofu into frying pan. Stir-fry tofu until most of the liquid is evaporated, then add pork and toss. Next add cabbage, won bok and carrots, and stir-fry a little; sprinkle with salt. Add the rest of the vegetables (except green onions), then add hondashi. After all vegetables are about half-cooked (still crispy), sprinkle in sugar and shoyu and stir-fry until all ingredients are well-mixed.

Add green onions and give it a last mix to lightly cook green onions.