Ginisang Ampalaya (Sauteed Bitter Gourd)

Ampalaya or bitter gourd is my favorite vegetable. I like how my mother cook ampalaya for our meal. It is a little bit bitter but tasty because of the egg and pork she added. This vegetable is very easy to cook and not all have a bitter taste. People have different ways of preparation to eliminate the bitterness of it. Some soak it in water for a few hours and then squeeze out some of its juices. Some mix it with salt before squeezing the juices.

When my eldest son was only 5 years old, I forced him to eat sauteed bitter gourd. He was not happy about it and said, " mommy why do you want to poison me?" Really! my answer was, "are you out of your mind, I am your mother,why would I poison you! " Anyway, he is now 16 and still don't like ampalaya. I told the story to my husband, and he said, "I don't blame him, nobody likes it." Honestly, behind the wrinkled looking ampalaya is a highly nutritious vegetable. It is used in various Asian and African herbal medicine systems for a long time. It is also used to treat diabetes, mild cough, rheumatism, gout and more. 

For this recipe, the ampalaya that I used was not bitter so I did not squeeze it at all. For the bitter variety of amplaya, make sure to completely remove the seeds and membranes by scraping off  with spoon. Cut into thin slices, Place in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, squeeze out the juices, rinse and drain. 
Ingredients:

• 2 pieces bitter gourd, cut thinly
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped 
• 1 cup ground pork or any piece of pork cut into bite sized.
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• salt and pepper to taste 
• cooking oil 

Directions:

1. Wash bitter gourd, cut them lengthwise, scrape off seeds and white membrane with spoons. Rinse well. Cut thinly. Set aside.
2. Heat oil,  saute garlic, onions and tomatoes. Add pork, cook well. Add water, Season with salt and pepper. Cover. Let boil for about 3-5 minutes. 
3. Add bitter gourd, cooked until crisp. Add beaten eggs and stir well until well cooked. Add salt and pepper according to your taste. 
4. Remove from heat. Serve hot with rice.