Ampalaya with Eggs Recipe

Bittermelon + eggs = I'm sooo full I can't breathe.

Ampalaya (ahm-pah-lah-yah) in Tagalog. Paliya (pah-lee-yah) in Cebuano.

I remember when I was little, my mom would force me to eat her cooked paliya. Like every other kid, I hated anything that tasted bitter. There were times that I'd cry during mealtime because my mom wouldn't let me play unless I ate at least a few spoonfuls of that oh so bitter food. She'd tell me over and over that it was good for my health. As young as I was, I didn't really understand the importance of good health, all I cared about was tasty food for meals and snacks.

But my mom never gave up, and I eventually grew up loving paliya.

Today was the first time in almost 3 years that I ate bitter melon. It's very rare in America since it grows in the tropics and I bet only very few Americans know or have seen it. One day I saw it at the Filipino store and to say that I was happy is an understatement.

So here's how I cooked my bitter melon for lunch. When cooked this way, the bitter taste is tamed.

Ingredients:

3 medium-sized bitter melons

3 large eggs, beaten

1 medium white onion, sliced

1 medium tomato, quartered

2 tbsp. garlic salt

1/2 chicken broth cube, dissolved in 1/2 cup water

1-2 tbsp. cooking oil

Directions:

1. Wash bitter melons and cut into halves lengthwise. Remove seeds.

2. Slice each half crosswise about 1 inch thick. Put the tiny slices on a bowl.

3. Rub the bitter melon slices with garlic salt.

4. Sautee onions and tomatoes in oil. Add the salted bitter melon. Stir.

5. Pour in the dissolved chicken broth cube and mix well. Simmer for about 4 minutes. Drain any excess broth.

6. Stir in the beaten eggs. Continue stirring until the eggs mix well with the bitter melon and don't look gooey. You may add a little more oil to prevent the egg from sticking to the wok/pan.

7. Serve with rice.

Some health facts about bitter melon:

-rich in Vitamin C and flavonoids.

-Bitter melons are known to treat diabetes. A study proves that they have compounds that help move glocuse into cells.

-In a cancer research, it was found that bitter melon extract killed the breast cancer cells. (article)

Is bitter melon a fruit or veggie?