By chance, I happened to see bitter gourd (ampalaya) in one of the Asian stores at Den Haag, Netherlands. You should already know what I would have done, right? I quickly grabbed one and was already excited thinking what I can do with it. Bitter gourd or bitter melon, famously known as ampalaya in the Philippines, is one of the most bitter "fruits" that is widely grown in Asia. Yes, it is a fruit amidst being brought up and taught by our parents that it is a healthy vegetable!
To remove the bitterness of the fruit, we would soak it in water with salt before cooking. It is one of the "vegetables" that my parents or grandparents would force any kids in our house to eat because of the nutrition that comes with it. Even worse, sometimes, bitter gourd will be boiled and the soup drank like tea. I hated drinking this until I grew up and learned to eat them. Once you get the hang of the bitterness, you'd actually enjoy eating it. Try drinking the soup from a freshly boiled bitter gourd and you will feel rejuvenated the next day. It seems to work in wonders!
It's the first time that I cooked bitter gourd and my food testers enjoyed it! I took half of the bitter gourd and prepared a twist to a commonly cooked Filipino dish. Wait for the next post where I will share how I cooked the other half. Here is my version of bitter gourd with shrimps and eggs.
Bitter Gourd with Shrimps and Eggs (Ampalaya with Hipon and Eggs)
To remove the bitterness of the fruit, we would soak it in water with salt before cooking. It is one of the "vegetables" that my parents or grandparents would force any kids in our house to eat because of the nutrition that comes with it. Even worse, sometimes, bitter gourd will be boiled and the soup drank like tea. I hated drinking this until I grew up and learned to eat them. Once you get the hang of the bitterness, you'd actually enjoy eating it. Try drinking the soup from a freshly boiled bitter gourd and you will feel rejuvenated the next day. It seems to work in wonders!
It's the first time that I cooked bitter gourd and my food testers enjoyed it! I took half of the bitter gourd and prepared a twist to a commonly cooked Filipino dish. Wait for the next post where I will share how I cooked the other half. Here is my version of bitter gourd with shrimps and eggs.
Bitter Gourd with Shrimps and Eggs (Ampalaya with Hipon and Eggs)
