Bitter Melons and Eggs

Some call it bitter melon omelet, but  it’s entirely up to you how you would name it.

My sister harvested some bitter melons from her garden and didn’t know what to do with them, so I suggested we cooked them the way our mother made them when we were young, Ilocano style.  This is an authentic Filipino breakfast because of the two particular ingredients involved in creating this dish.  It’s really delicious and the bitterness of the melons were not overwhelming.  The fact that the bitter melons were picked right from my sister’s garden might have had something to do with it or maybe the way I cooked them.  They actually tasted sweet and just had a hint of bitter taste in them.  If you want some food adventure, you might want to try this dish.

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Did you know bitter melon leaves are good for your skin?  I remember my mother used to pound its leaves and use them to treat vitiligo (white patches of skin) and acne.  It was really effective.  I witnessed it when my older brother had vitiligo.  My mother would rubbed the bitter melon leaves to the affected area and after a short time, the vitiligo disappeared.  If you want to find out more about the health benefits of bitter melons, read it here.

Shall we start the adventure?  Let’s prepare the ingredients and start cooking!

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 bitter melons, thinly cut crosswise about 1/4 inch
• 4 eggs, scrambled
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 of medium onion, diced
• 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 whooping tablespoons shrimp fry (or shrimp anchovies available at any Asian stores) OR salt
• black pepper

Cooking Methods:

Heat a skillet with a lid over medium heat and coat with olive oil when hot.  Add garlic and onions.  Saute until garlic turns lightly brown and onions are translucent.

Add the tomatoes and stir until the tomatoes are somewhat soft.

Add the bitter melons and stir to combine.

Cover and let cook for about 3-5 minutes. *

Add the shrimp fry and stir-fry  to combine. Then, add the scrambled eggs.

Place a flat spatula under the egg mixture to flip it.  Let cook and repeat until all the eggs are cooked.

The eggs are done when it looks like the picture below.

Serve warm family style or serve over rice or couscous.  The adventure stops here.  Bon appetit!

Disclaimer:  Any words expressed on this post is solely my opinions and experiences. Please be advised accordingly.  Thank you!

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