Ampalaya con Carne

Honestly speaking, this is the only time I eat ampalaya when this dish is served. I like it when it taste a bit sweet and spicy. So here in this recipe I added a bit of sugar and chili. So please bear with me. However, I guarantee you that it taste a lot better.

Ingredients:

• 2 large ampalaya
• 1/2 kilo ground pork or beef
• 5 gloves garlic, crushed and minced
• 1 medium sized onion, minced
• 3 medium sized tomatoes, quartered with seeds removed
• 1 chili fingers,  sliced
• 1 tsp brown sugar, for the meat
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 1 medium egg, slightly beaten
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Cooking Procedure:

1. Cut ampalaya into halves, lengthwise. Then scrape off the seeds.
2. Then sliced thinly, place it in a bowl of water then a pinch of salt.
3. Place your ground pork or beef in a bowl, pour in 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp of brown sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well to coat evenly. Set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
4. Heat skillet and add cooking oil, then add the meat mixture, spread across the pan to allow it to sear and brown.
5. Push meat on the side of the pan or you could remove temporarily.
6. Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Then add the tomatoes and chili fingers, stir until soften.
7. Drain the ampalaya and then drop it on the pan. Stir it gently to combine. Cover and let it cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Season it with soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
9. Then pour in beaten egg, mix will to combine.
10. Server while still hot.

Tips:

• You may use ground pork or ground beef.
• Chili fingers is an optional ingredient, in case you do not like some kick on the taste.
• Soak the ampalaya with water and salt before cooking to slightly remove the bitterness of the amplaya.

Watch video here:

Just so you know:

In the cuisine of the Philippines, bitter melon, known as ampalaya in Filipino, and parya in Ilokano, may be stir-fried with ground beef and oyster sauce, or with eggs and diced tomato. The dish pinakbet, popular in the Ilocos region of Luzon, consists mainly of bitter melons, eggplant, okra, string beans, tomatoes, lima beans, and other various regional vegetables altogether stewed with a little bagoong-based stock.