Bitter Melon Sauteed with Eggs
(Ginisang Ampalaya na may Itlog)
Ampalaya, also known as Bitter Melon,
is a crawling vine that grows well in tropical countries, particularly
in the Philippines. The term Ampalaya refers to both the plant and its
fruit, which is elongated, green and has a rough and rumpled skin. Known
for its bitter taste, the Ampalaya is at once a staple ingredient in
Filipino and Asian cuisine and a reliable home remedy for various
illnesses, particularly diabetes. ( source: http://www.charantia.com/about-ampalaya/)
Today, I'm so inspired to share the recipe that I hated back when I was a kid and ended up falling in-love eating it growing up. My parents loved to plant fruit and vegetable and one of them is Ampalaya or also known as Bitter Melon. My Mom loved to cook this dish and always served during breakfast before going to school and often she packed this for school lunch as well. I don't really like Ampalaya because of its notorious bitter taste, I ended up eating the eggs and left the slice Ampalaya behind on my plate. Nowadays, I can't find it so often at grocery store but if I do, I'll make sure that I grab some and make this dish. I just simply loved it, I think... it taste better and better once you get used to it. My kids tried them and of course!!... they don't like it, they just ate the eggs and left the bitter melon behind..(hahahha) It's kinda funny that I used to do same thing when I was a kid..wink
Below is my version of Bitter Melon sauteed with Eggs recipe, please feel free to do your own twist and style of cooking. Enjoy and have fun cooking!!
* How to get rid of bitterness of Ampalaya
- Sliced the Ampalaya lengthwise, remove the seed by running the spoon inside the seed cavity.
- Put the thinly sliced Ampalaya in a big bowl, sprinkle with some salt.
-Let it set for couple minutes, then squeezed the ampalaya until all the liquid comes out.
* My Mom practiced this method every time she made this dish; It works out great. Also don't over cooked the Ampalaya to avoid the super bitter taste.
Ingredients:
1 medium size bitter-melon/ampalaya- thinly sliced
3 eggs- beaten
1 small onion- chopped
1 garlic- minced
1 tomato- slice
Salt and Pepper- to taste
2 tsp. cooking oil
Directions:
1.) Put oil into the large skillet. Sauteed the onion,garlic and tomato until translucent;
2.) Add the slice bitter-melon ans let it cook for like 5-8 minutes.
3.) Add the beaten eggs into the skillet; Salt and pepper to taste. Let it set for 2 minutes or until the eggs is cooked.
4.) Best serve with hot rice. Enjoy!
Notes:
-Taste according to your preference.
- Used whatever method you know to get rid of bitterness of Ampalaya.
- Shrimp paste is great addition to this recipe, feel free to add some if you have it on hand.
