Ginataang ampalaya facts for kids
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| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | bitter melon, coconut milk, tinapa (smoked fish) |
Ginataang ampalaya is a yummy Filipino vegetable stew. It's made with a special vegetable called bitter melon and tinapa (which is smoked fish). All these ingredients are cooked in creamy coconut milk. It also uses bagoong alamang (a type of shrimp paste) and different spices.
Sometimes, people add pork or shrimp to this dish. You can also find it with other vegetables. This stew is known for being savory and a little bit bitter. It's a type of ginataan, which means "cooked in coconut milk."
Contents
What is Ginataang Ampalaya?
Ginataang ampalaya is a popular dish from the Philippines. It's a great way to enjoy vegetables and seafood or meat. The main star is the bitter melon, which gives the dish its unique taste.
What's in It? (Ingredients)
The main things you need for ginataang ampalaya are bitter melon (also called ampalaya), tinapa (smoked fish), and coconut milk. You'll also need onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. A common ingredient is bagoong alamang (shrimp paste). If you don't have shrimp paste, you can use fish sauce instead.
Sometimes, cooks add other tasty things. These can include pork or shrimp. You might also find other vegetables like moringa leaves (malunggay), tomatoes, and eggplants. For a bit of a kick, ginger or spicy peppers like siling haba or labuyo can be added. Some recipes even use cornstarch or okra to make the sauce a little thicker.
How is it Made? (Preparation)
Making ginataang ampalaya involves a few steps. It's all about getting the flavors just right!
Preparing the Bitter Melon
First, the bitter melon is sliced in half lengthwise. The soft inside part is taken out. To make the bitter melon less bitter, the outer skin is soaked in brine (which is salty water). Then, it's gently squeezed until it feels a bit softer. After that, it's rinsed with fresh water and soaked again. Finally, it's rinsed one more time and cut into small pieces. Some people skip these rinsing steps if they like a stronger bitter taste.
The tinapa (smoked fish) is shredded into small flakes. The fish head is sometimes crushed with hot water. This liquid is then filtered and saved to add more fish flavor later.
Cooking the Dish
To start cooking, onions and garlic are lightly fried in oil. If you're adding shrimp or pork, they go in next. Then, water is added along with the tinapa flakes and any other vegetables or spices. This mixture is brought to a boil.
Once it's boiling, the prepared bitter melon is added. It cooks until it becomes tender. After that, the heat is turned down. The creamy coconut milk and the saved liquid from the crushed tinapa are stirred in. The dish continues to cook until the bitter melon soaks up the delicious coconut milk sauce. It's usually served hot over white rice.
Some recipes use thin coconut milk first instead of water. Then, they add coconut cream later for an even richer taste.
Different Ways to Enjoy It
Ginataang ampalaya can be changed up in many ways. For example, it can be cooked with calabaza (a type of squash) and other vegetables. When it's made like this, it becomes a more general dish called ginataang gulay. This simply means "vegetables in coconut milk." It shows how versatile and tasty Filipino cooking can be!
