Bitter melon/Ampalaya ginisa

It's been years that I have not cook nor taste this dish again. Because I only eat this dish if it is cook by mama. Mama knew how to cook this ampalaya/bitter melon ginisa without bitterness. One time I asked her how she do it, she told me to put salt on the fresh cut bitter melon then squeeze and then wash. That is the secret so she said. Yesterday, I cook for the very first time ampalaya/bitter melon ginisa and though it has a bitterness to it but it is okay. 

First, I cut the bitter melon, tomatoes, onions and the garlic.

                               
                                                  I scrambled two eggs. I like lots of eggs.

                                  On the wok, I put an oil then saute first the onions. Then if you see
                              the onions become translucent you add the garlic. That smells so good! ^_^

                     Do not let the garlic burnt it will give bitter taste. Then I mixed the tomatoes. Stir.

                                                                    Another stir ^_^

                               Then I mixed the bitter melon/ampalaya. Stir once. Do not cover.

         
                        If you see that the ampalaya is a bit tender put the scrambled egg and stir.

I do not stir a lot because it will become more bitter (per advice from mom). And I do not cover since the water evaporation will settle to the dish that would also add up with being bitter. This time you can season.
I put fish sauce but if you do not have fish sauce you can use salt, then pepper. Put the heat to low and let it cook. If in case the oil is not enough you can add more. I like it cook with oil than water.

                                    So this is it my ginisang Bitter melon/ Ampalaya. Let's eat!!
                       
                                                                FOOD FRIDAY and YUMMY SUNDAY

Bitter melon/Ampalaya

This is bitter melon or ampalaya in the Philippines. The taste of this vegetable is bitter but I remember my mom used to cook this and the bitterness just disappeared. One time I asked her how she do it and she told me that she squeezed salt with it then wash. And in cooking, after sauteing the garlic, onion  and tomato put the chopped bitter gourd then just stir ONCE. Do not cover because the water that we allow to evaporate will come back that would cause bitter again. Then my mom scrambled one or two eggs then mixed it with the bitter gourd.
Oh my that is so yummy and it is only her cooking like this that I like to eat. Now I missed my mom and her cooking -sniff-

Here are some information about Bitter Melon

This herbaceous, tendril-bearing vine grows to 5 meters. It bears simple, alternate leaves 4–12 cm across, with 3–7 deeply separated lobes. Each plant bears separate yellow male and female flowers. In the Northern Hemisphere, flowering occurs during June to July and fruiting during September to November.

The fruit has a distinct warty exterior and an oblong shape. It is hollow in cross-section, with a relatively thin layer of flesh surrounding a central seed cavity filled with large flat seeds and pith. The fruit is most often eaten green, or as it is beginning to turn yellow. At this stage, the fruit's flesh is crunchy and watery in texture, similar to cucumber, chayote or green bell pepper, but bitter. The skin is tender and edible. Seeds and pith appear white in unripe fruits; they are not intensely bitter and can be removed before cooking.

As the fruit ripens, the flesh becomes tougher, more bitter, and too distasteful to eat. On the other hand, the pith becomes sweet and intensely red; it can be eaten uncooked in this state, and is a popular ingredient in some southeast Asian salads.

When the fruit is fully ripe it turns orange and mushy, and splits into segments which curl back dramatically to expose seeds covered in bright red pulp.

[edit]Varieties

Bitter melon comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The China phenotype is 20–30 cm long, oblong with bluntly tapering ends and pale green in color, with a gently undulating, warty surface. The bitter melon more typical of India has a narrower shape with pointed ends, and a surface covered with jagged, triangular "teeth" and ridges. It is green to white in color. Between these two extremes are any number of intermediate forms. Some bear miniature fruit of only 6–10 cm in length, which may be served individually as stuffed vegetables. These miniature fruit are popular in India and elsewhere inSoutheast Asia.

And more information here (source) WIKIPEDIA

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