Okinawan menus can be divided into two types - cuisine for the royal court, and food for ordinary people. Chanpuru is a good example of food for ordinary people. Tofu is made from soybeans, so is rich in protein. Chanpuru is a simple yet nutritious meal made by quickly frying tofu with vegetables and pork. This dish is called somin chanpuru .
Many people use canned tuna or pork instead of fresh pork.
The key to success when making chanpuru is to drain the tofu well, then to fry it at a high heat to reduce water content further, finally adding it to the vegetables when frying them. When making goya chanpuru , toss in some egg at the end to reduce the bitterness and add color. This meal was prepared by Sho Tsuguru. He owns an Okinawan restaurant called Zen in Tokyo's Ginza district. His experience managing a Japanese restaurant in the U.S. gave him ideas on how to develop new tastes for Japanese and Okinawan cuisine.