Bitter melon, also known as “ampalaya” in Tagalog or “paliya” in my native Cebuano dialect, is a greenish, elongated, and wrinkled fruit that grows from a vine commonly used as an ingredient in cooking.
It’s cultivated in the Philippines and in some countries in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean. Some Filipino dishes that use bitter melon include pinakbet, ampalaya salad, rellenong ampalaya, paksiw na isda, and ginisang ampalaya with pork. Because of its ability to lower blood glucose levels, many diabetics turn to eating ampalaya to manage their disease
For as long as I can remember, my family consumes bitter melon regularly, as well as many Filipinos I knew. But not everyone I met can tolerate the bitterness. It is an acquired taste. So I can’t blame my spouse for giving up on first try, or my kids. But I don’t lose hope that in the future they will learn to love it as much as I do, and reap the health benefits of this super food.
The following recipe is for sautéed bitter melon with lightly beaten eggs. You can significantly reduce the bitter taste by mixing it with salt, leaving it for a couple of minutes, and rinsing quickly with cold water.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 lb bitter melon (ampalaya)
1 large tomato
3 large eggs
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 ¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil (or any cooking oil you have)
Tools You’ll Need:
Knife
Cutting board
Spoon
Skillet
Colander
Small mixing bowl
Fork
Procedure:
1. Wash bitter melon, cut both ends and slice vertically to expose the seeds. Scoop the seeds out using a spoon.
2. Slice thinly about 1/8 inch thick.
3. Place in a colander and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt.
4. Mix using your hands and set aside for 2-3 minutes. The salt removes most of the bitterness.
5. Rinse under cold running water, gently squeezing them with your fingers. Set aside to drain while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
6. Peel garlic and mince. Also peel onion and slice thinly. Set aside.
7. Wash tomato and chop.
8. Place skillet on the stove and heat oil on medium high. Sauté garlic and onions till garlic has browned a little and onions become translucent, about 2 minutes.
9. Throw in tomatoes and sauté until wilted, about 3 minutes.
10. Add bitter melon and sauté for another 5 minutes until it gets soft.
11. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt, soy sauce, and ground pepper.
12. Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and add it into the skillet.
13. Wait until the eggs starts cooking before mixing with the rest.
14. Cook for another minute before removing from heat.
15. Serve with warm rice.
- 1 lb bitter melon (ampalaya)
- 1 large tomato
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil (or any cooking oil you have)
- Wash bitter melon, cut both ends and slice vertically to expose the seeds. Scoop the seeds out using a spoon.
- Slice thinly about ⅛ inch thick.
- Place in a colander and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt.
- Mix using your hands and set aside for 2-3 minutes. The salt removes most of the bitterness.
- Rinse under cold running water, gently squeezing them with your fingers. Set aside to drain while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Peel garlic and mince. Also peel onion and slice thinly. Set aside.
- Wash tomato and chop.
- Place skillet on the stove and heat oil on medium high. Sauté garlic and onions till garlic has browned a little and onions become translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Throw in tomatoes and sauté until wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Add bitter melon and sauté for another 5 minutes until it gets soft.
- Season with ¼ teaspoon salt, soy sauce, and ground pepper.
- Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and add it into the skillet.
- Wait until the eggs starts cooking before mixing with the rest.
- Cook for another minute before removing from heat.
- Serve with warm rice.
Ampalaya! 🙂 Pero di ako nakain ng ampalaya.hehe some cases lang pag di mapait.hehe
Hehehe…ok lang yan. Acquired taste nga eh. Di lahat gusto itong kainin.
salamat kaayo sa mga recipes.
You’re welcome! Keep checking for new ones!