Ginisang Ampalaya

Ginisang ampalaya (Sauteed Bitter Gourd) is a popular Filipino dish and made by stir frying ambalaya in oil along with minced onion, garlic, salt and beaten egg. Adding egg to this stir-fry will take the bitterness of ampalaya. Follow this ginisang ampalaya video and it will show step by step instructions to make the best ampalaya you ever ate.

GINISANG AMPALAYA RECIPE

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 2 large ampalaya
• 4 eggs (beaten)
• Oil (for frying)
• 1 small onion (minced)
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)

Directions:

1. Prepare a large bowl of water then add the salt. Stir well to dissolve. Set aside.
2. Prepare the ampalaya and cut them into half. Remove the seeds and the core using a spoon. Cut the ampalaya into small pieces. Soak the ampalaya in the salt and water mixture for 15 minutes.
3. Crack the eggs in a bowl and then whisk them well. Set aside.
4. Heat some oil in a pan. Add the onions, garlic and tomatoes then saute for a few minutes until crushed. Add the chopped ampalaya and saute well. Season with some pepper. Do not stir too much. Cover the pan and let it cook for 3 to 5 minutes using medium heat. Season with some salt then stir.
5. Add the beaten eggs. Do not stir for a while. Allow the eggs to cook a bit before stirring. Let them cook until the eggs are fully cooked. Turn the heat off.
6. Transfer the ginisang ampalaya to a serving plate. Enjoy this together with some hot steaming rice. Yum!

WHAT IS AMPALAYA?

Ampalaya, or bittergourd or bitter melon, is a type of vegetable you can often see from the market. It is green and long, with a wrinkled skin. It’s most defining characteristics is its distinct bitterness, which made it notorious to some children. 

Amplaya grows as a vine which makes it one of the usual garden plants. After around 2 months, the ampalaya in your garden is fully grown, then you can start adding them into your dishes or on this ginisang ampalaya recipe.

GINISANG AMPALAYA

Ampalaya is one of the most famous vegetables, especially to the children. This veggie is sometimes use as a punishment when a child does not eat well, which makes them fear the ampalaya more. Unlike other children, I was introduced to a not bitter version of the ampalaya so I can eat it without hesitation.

Every nutrition month during my elementary years, kids and parents always have a salo salo. The parents will cook different veggie dishes on the veggie picked by their kids though a raffle. But unlike other children, my teacher always tell me not to raffle and simple assigns the ampalaya to me.This is because, only my mom can cook a not bitter ampalaya among the class. I have been holding my mom’s hacks up to now which makes ginisang ampalaya one of my fortes.

Ampalaya is a very healthy veggie and the ginisang ampalaya is a good way to introduce this vegetable to your kids. If you wanna know how to make some not-so-bitter ginisang ampalaya,, read and follow the simple steps below. Happy cooking!

HOW TO MAKE NOT-SO-BITTER GINISANG AMPALAYA

With all the techniques I got from my mom, making a not-so-bitter ampalaya is very easy. The ones I will be sharing with you are some of the proven and tested ones.

Aside from this, it is also believed that in order for the ampalaya to not be bitter, you should be smiling during the whole cooking process. Can I see your smile now? Start smiling!

Start with soaking the sliced amplaya in salt and water mixture. It is also advisable to cut them into thin slices so that the bitterness can be quickly “released”. Let them in the mixture for aorund 15 minutes. After soaking, gently squeeze them, similar to when you are rinsing some clothes.

Then, saute them normally but do not stir too much so that the “bitter” flavors will not be released. Add the eggs and cook. Some people add to much eggs so that the taste of the ampalaya will be masked. In this recipe, around 4 eggs is already good for 2 pieces of large ampalaya.

The amplaya is very quick to cook. So as long as they are tender and the eggs are done, then it’s ready. If you are brave as a person, you can enjoy the ginisang ampalaya as an appetizer. Still best when partnered with hot steaming rice. Yum!

Ginisang Ampalaya Recipe (TAGALOG)

Mga Sangkap:

• Asin
• 2 malaking ampalaya
• 4 itlog (batihin)
• mantika
• 1 maliit na sibuyas (hiniwa nang maliliit)
• 3 butil ng bawang (hiniwa nang maliliit)

Paano Lutuin:

1. Maglagay ng maraming tubig sa isang pot at lagyan ng asin. Haluing mabuti para matunaw ang asin at isantabi.
2. Ihanda ang ampalaya at hiwain ito sa gitna. Alisin ang mga buto at ang gitna nito gamit ang kutsara. Hiwain ang ampalaya sa maliliit na piraso. Ibabad sa tubig na may asin sa loob ng 15 na minuto.
3. Batihing mabuti ang mga itlog sa isang bowl at isantabi.
4. Magpainit ng mantika sa kawali. Ilagay ang sibuyas, bawang at kamatis. Igisa ang mga ito ng ilang minuto hanggang madurog ang kamatis. Idagdag ang hiwa hiwang ampalaya at igisa. Timplahan ito ng paminta at huwag haluin masyado. Takpan ang kawali at hayaang maluto sa loob ng 3 – 5 na minuto sa ilalim ng katamtamang apoy. Budburan ito ng konting asin saka haluin.
5. Idagdag ag binating itlog. Hayaang muna maluto ang itlog bago haluin. Lututin ito hanggang maluto na ang itlog. Patayin ang apoy.
6. Ilipat ang ginisang ampalaya sa serving plate. Enjoyin ito kasama ng mainit init na kanin. Yum!