My Own Recipe-Ampalaya with Smoked Salmon

One of the most healthy Filipino dish if you are a diabetic is the Ampalaya or bitter melon with shrimps. In the Philippines a variation of the dish is to use pork instead of the shrimps. In some recipes both shrimps and pork are used in equal proportions. This recipe is almost a weekly fare in our menu when we are in the Philippines because of the abundance of the bitter melon.

As a personal variation to the recipe, I have created my own recipe using smoked salmon instead of prawns, shrimps and/or pork. The recipe was inspired by a left-over smoked salmon from a Christmas gift last year that I found in our refrigerator. I shredded the smoked salmon prior to adding it to the sauteed ampalaya dish mixture.

Ingredients

4 medium ampalaya or bitter melon (cut lengthwise)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 lb smoked salmon, shredded
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 cup water
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
soy sauce or fish sauce(patis)optional) to taste. I do not like patis since I am not a true-blooded Tagalog but an Ilonggo.

Procedure

1. Cut ampalaya lengthwise and scrape off seeds and white pith. Slice thinly and place in a bowl, covered in cold water with a little salt* until needed.

2. In a wide skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until tender. Add in tomatoes and cook until softened, regularly mashing with back of spoon.

3.* Add the squeezed and debittered ampalaya* to pan and gently mix it into the dish. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes or until tender yet crisp.

4. Add the smoked salmon and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until salmon is thoroughly incorporated in the dish.(The soy sauce or patis could be added at this point(optional in my recipe).

5. In a thin stream, add the beaten eggs and gently stir to distribute. Continue to cook for about 1 minute or until eggs have set. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

* Ampalaya is very bitter. To remove most of its bitterness, the slice melon is soak in cold salted water for at least 30 minutes and then drained prior to cooking. This soaking and draining process may be repeated if you want to remove most of the bitterness in the ampalaya. I personally drained my ampalaya 3 times before I used it in my recipe above.