Wednesday, August 12, 2009

I Got it Right!

I would like to give credit to one of my dearest friends here in blogland, Mami Kat of "Mom's Place" for giving me some tips on how to lessen the bitterness of the bitter melon. Thanks a lot Mami Kat. The secret is not too difficult to understand...lol!

Tossed with homemade bacon bits and garlic.

Bitter melon is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown for edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all vegetables. English names for the plant and its fruit include bitter melon or bitter gourd. The original home of the species is not known, other than that it is a native of the tropics. It is widely grown in South and Southeast Asia, China, Africa, and the Caribbean.

It is prepared in various dishes in the Philippines, where it is known as Ampalaya. Ampalaya may also be stir-fried with ground beef and oyster sauce, or with eggs and diced tomato.

A very popular dish from the Ilocos region of the Philippines, pinakbet, consists mainly of bitter melons, eggplant, okra, string beans, tomatoes, lima beans, and other various regional vegetables stewed with a little bagoong-based stock.

The young shoots and leaves may also be eaten as greens; in the Philippines, where bitter melon leaves are commonly consumed, they are called dahon (leaves) ng ampalaya.
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34 comments:

  1. Life MotoAugust 12, 2009 at 5:23 PM

    i miss that kind of ampalaya. yung na andito sa Saudi ay what we called ligaw na ampalaya. if meroon man 3x ang price nya so tyaga na lng sa mura.

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  2. AnonymousAugust 12, 2009 at 5:25 PM

    naimas dayta parya

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  3. sam_emieAugust 12, 2009 at 6:27 PM

    am proud to say that i grew up eating that healthy but bitter and delicious veges... good insights keep it up friend.....post more

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  4. Kim, USAAugust 12, 2009 at 6:35 PM

    Wow ampalaya sarap sa pinakbet yan. How are you na dhemz thanks for dropping by ha I do appreciate it.

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  5. LuluAugust 12, 2009 at 6:38 PM

    that is what i do too mami ... i scrape the insides of it... and proven talaga!

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  6. ArlynaAugust 12, 2009 at 6:38 PM

    Dhemz, thanks for the visit sis. Ampalaya is one of my favorite veggies especially in pinakbet or with corned beef. Thanks for the tip though for making it less bitter.

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  7. Ali MasadiAugust 12, 2009 at 6:54 PM

    nice post.. just visit to make new friend..

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  8. UnknownAugust 12, 2009 at 8:52 PM

    Ka gwapa sa imung ampalaya tsang oi, kalami ana intawn. lami sd na isagol sa inun onan nyora. Sge ko pangita ug amplaya dri, intwan kalooy sa diyos wala jd ko kita hehehehehe. Pagka pobre ning bukid akong gipoy an limited ra kaayo ang mga veges nga common sa atoa. Iapil nlng ko ug kaon sa imung ampalaya, im sure ikaw ra nag kaon ana. Gakaon ba sd si honey bunch nimu ana tsang? mahurot kaha na nimu no? ipa LBC lang ang LO hehehehe.

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  9. UnknownAugust 13, 2009 at 12:11 AM

    My husband loves ampalaya....but not me though...pero sigi lang luto pa din ako!

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  10. UnknownAugust 13, 2009 at 12:11 AM

    My husband loves ampalaya....but not me though...pero sigi lang luto pa din ako!

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  11. Ms. JournAugust 13, 2009 at 1:26 AM

    I love palija.... ako na sya kilawon sis....huh! labi na butangan ug egg agoy bisan dili na nako i pares sa rice oks na kaau nako. Karon rako kabalo "bitter melon" diay tawag ana sa english? waaaaaaa sis dhemz karon rako kasinati ahahha..

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  12. CecileAugust 13, 2009 at 1:35 AM

    I love ampalaya; this is not easy to cook nd healthy, but also good for those who has diabetes kasi nakakatulong mag pababa ng blood sigar level :-); salamat for the info about the bitter melon ha!

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  13. amiable amyAugust 13, 2009 at 1:54 AM

    very informative. WOW! good job! Wala nimo gikumot sa asin? Gi unsa nimo para dili pait?

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  14. vialentinoAugust 13, 2009 at 2:12 AM

    this is a very healthy food....u must know how to cook, else it will be hard and bitter to be eaten

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  15. veronicaAugust 13, 2009 at 5:00 AM

    paliya!! yum!! mao nay panihapon namo ron gurl hahahah! we used to soak it in salt solution for a couple of minutes to lessen the bitterness. that's another way to do it ;) pero ako, i love its bitterness! for me it's what makes it delicious ;) hehehe

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  16. BengAugust 13, 2009 at 5:06 AM

    grabe more than a year na yata ako di nakatikim nyan. pero pinipiga ko yan sa asin saka huhugasan ng tubig para mabawasan ang pait.

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  17. Jenny0323August 13, 2009 at 6:27 AM

    I love ampalaya...kanus a pa man tawn ko makakaon ana usab oi....

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  18. maxivelascoAugust 13, 2009 at 8:19 AM

    thanks for the tips dhemz. not sure if i will love amplaya at all. hehe. di ako mahilig dun eh. but will try this one... baka magustuhan ko na.

    mwah

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  19. Chubskulit RoseAugust 13, 2009 at 8:42 AM

    Yum, gusto ko nyan sis eh mangahang, yung ginataan ba hehehe...

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  20. vhingFAugust 13, 2009 at 9:36 AM

    oi...nme man ya menu ah, gusto ko nyan inihaw tapos sawsaw sa suka na may pinitpit na bawang at siling labuyo ...

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  21. analouAugust 13, 2009 at 10:27 AM

    Hello Dhemz. Just 3 days ago I cooked bitter melon with eggs. I love this vegetable although it has a bitter taste. My husband always asked me why I like cooking bitter melon wherein it tastes awful (for my husband). I just told him....I don't know, I just love it like you love eating pastries with cinnamon and for me...I don't like it. Our taste buds are different.. Take always dear friend.

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  22. RadAugust 13, 2009 at 10:53 AM

    I've honestly never tried bitter melon, but this recipe sounds damn good lol I'll keep an eye out for it next time I hit up the fruit and vegetable store here

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  23. Gin HanssonAugust 13, 2009 at 11:17 AM

    Ang sarap naman ng ampalaya..heheh miss ko yan ah..wala ako mabili niyan dito eh..kainis..heheh

    Anyway, atleast i ate that nong nasa pinas ako last month.

    Sis thanks nga pala sa good words mo for my sister... I told her already. Thanks much talaga

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  24. resistanCeAugust 13, 2009 at 12:29 PM

    ampalaya in Indonesia call pare. I like the colour not the taste...:D

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  25. katherineAugust 13, 2009 at 6:26 PM

    Good Job Dhemz..sakto jud kaayo imo gibuhat hahaha..ingon si Tsang Shy, ikaw ra ba daw kaon ana kay mag pa LBC sya..hahaha

    sus Dhemz wa na sad koy connection maong absent ko for 2 days..mamawi lagi ko ron ug pamindot sa mga kaigsoonan, ako dublihon kay aron maka bawi...later na lang mag basa-basa sa uban kay mao pay pag sugod nako ug blog hopping

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  26. meAugust 13, 2009 at 8:01 PM

    Hello Inday..i'm back to work..still not feeling well but have to report kasi nag OA akong doctor..

    OMG!is that what i think it is..i don't eat veggies and ampalaya is one of the reasons why..huhuhu..need to practice though kasi hindi talaga healthy eating habits ko..

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  27. Meryl (proud pinay)August 14, 2009 at 12:21 AM

    wow ! masustansyarap! ^_^ ang dad ko nakikita kong binababad nya sa water sis para di masyado mapait ^_^ galing naman magluto

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  28. nutsAugust 14, 2009 at 7:06 AM

    masarap yan, madalas din ako magluto nyan.. mmm.. sarap..

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  29. AnonymousAugust 14, 2009 at 7:26 PM

    lamasin mo lang asin sis wala na yung pait pero nagluto ako minsan di mapait yung ampalaya nabili ko kunti lang pait nya

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  30. MaricrisGAugust 14, 2009 at 10:14 PM

    One way is to scrub the pre-sliced vegetable with salt then rinsed, though the first option is easier. I love bitter melon. I don't see them in here as much.

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  31. Mrs. StevensonAugust 15, 2009 at 10:58 AM

    Hi sis! I don't like veges that much but i had ampalaya before. My mom used to cooked it b'coz it is my bro's fav. Para di daw mapait lamasin mo sa asin bago lutuin. After you sliced it lamasin mo sa asin. hehe i like it with eggs, tomatoes, onions and ground beef. hmm ginutom tuloy ako.

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  32. HiteshAugust 15, 2009 at 9:56 PM

    i hate it too..........don't like this vegi at all.........

    but a good page.....hope to make it every day here....


    woo hoo \,,,/

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  33. MOTHERCARESAugust 16, 2009 at 8:37 AM

    SARAP YAN KAHIT HILAW MAY SUKA AT ASIN

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  34. wyneAugust 16, 2009 at 9:17 PM

    Lami! ganahan pud ko kaon ana. advantage lang daghan dari ampalaya! hahahahaha

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