Okay, before ya’ll judge me, let me ask you these questions:
- Do you love ampalaya? (by love I mean, love…)
- Do you like peanut butter?
- Do you think this is weird?!
Oh ampalaya, how do I love thee?
Ampalaya aka bitter melon (here in the States) or bitter gourd (somewhere, someone calls it that) is actually a FRUIT, not a vegetable as it is more commonly known. There’s a lot of mixed feelings about this wrinkly fruit, but in the Philippines it is a common ingredient in a lot of our beloved dishes. Pinakbet for example, or Ampalaya con carne. And of course, one of my most favorite side salad found here. Expect it to be bitter, hence the name. :) But the bitterness is part of its charm!!! :)
Here’s a recipe that I’ve done through the years, I know it sounds a bit strange, but to each his own. It was originally done by one of my oldest and dearest friends, but I’ve tweaked it here and there and made it my own.
Maybe you’ll like it too??? And that’s a MAYBE in all caps. LOL.
the Ampalaya fruit
Ingredients:
- one medium sized ampalaya, cut in half then into thin strips (take out the middle part with the seeds)
- tomatoes, garlic and onions for sauteing
- 1 cup chicken broth or water (or just enough for the amount of sauce you’d like — and if you’re using just water, a Knorr chicken cube would really help with flavor)
- 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter (I prefer the extra crunchy kind but it’s up to you what kind you’d like!)
- salt/pepper or patis if you’d like but I usually don’t add those
Procedure:
- First, make sure you soak the ampalaya in water and salt beforehand, 30 minutes is enough, and rub them together for about 5 minutes to take out some of the bitterness.
- Saute’ the garlic, onions then the tomatoes.
- Then stir-fry the ampalaya with the rest of the ingredients already in the pan. I don’t like my veggies to be really soggy so cooking this dish will not take too long. (heck, I even eat ampalaya in its raw state! :)
- So now, add some water or broth and let the veggies cook some more with the sauce.
- Lastly, add the peanut butter. The amount depends on your taste. For me, it depends on my mood, sometimes I like the sauce really thick and peanuty but sometimes I just like it light on the peanut taste like the photo above.
- After that, let the sauce reduce a little bit and then you’re all set!!!
For the chicharron bits, sometimes our grocery has those pork bellies that are cut like bacon strips but only a little thicker. So what I do is I slice them and then season with salt and pepper. Then I boil them in maybe a cup 1/2 of water (depending on how much I have), then I just let the water evaporate until it’s frying in it’s own juice. Fry until crispy and you’ve got a side treat for your Ampalaya in Peanut Sauce!!!
Happy cooking!
