Ampalaya salad

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Ampalaya Salad

Another recipe from my friend Melissa who also gave me the mango royale recipe from which I derived my strawberry royale dessert. Melissa brought this ampalaya salad last night to our weekly dinner with friends as an accompaniment to her fried tilapia.

There was a time, before I was married, when I was very ill and suffering from anemia. My family encouraged me to eat ampalaya which, they said, would help rebuild by blood supply. Well, I was never an ampalaya fan. You could recite all the health benefits of ampalaya ’till you were blue in the face and I’d still say that the bitter taste outweighed them all. When Melissa sent me an SMS yesterday afternoon saying she would be bringing ampalaya salad, I was curious but not exactly excited. In my experience, ampalaya was bitter no matter how you prepared it. Surprisingly, this salad dish gave me a whole new perspective on ampalaya. Yes, it was a little bitter, but not the kind of offensive bitterness that made me want to spit it out almost as soon as I put them in my mouth.

Ampalaya is a vegetable grown throughout the Philippines. It is mostly cultivated, although wild forms can be found. It grows wild in the remote areas of Mt. Banahaw. As the English name suggests (bitter melon), the melon has a bitter taste due to the presence of momordicin. There has been much research done on the effectiveness of using Momordica Charantia in the treatment of diabetes. It has been shown to increase production of beta cells by the pancreas, thereby improving the body’s ability to produce insulin. It has been recommended by the Department of Health of the Philippines, as one of the best herbal medicines for it’s ability to help with liver problems, Diabetes and HIV. It is a common herb used in Chinese herbology. In the Philippines, the leaves are often used for children’s coughs. It is also used in the treatment of skin diseases, sterility in women, as a parasiticide, as an antipyretic, and as a purgative. [Ampalaya.com]

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July 13, 2004  Print This Post   
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Comments

8 Responses to “Ampalaya salad”
  1. Chrisyl DG. Medina says:

    How can i make an embutido ampalaya? What are the best ingredients?

  2. Connie says:

    I wouldn’t know.

  3. Mauie says:

    The procedure is quiet the same as making atchara. I make atchara with ampalaya, too.

    We make ampalaya salad, just the way you did but, without the cooking part. It’s like kilawin. we just mix ampalaya meat sliced thinly, minced onions, sliced tomatoes, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and sugar. Then we chill it before serving.

  4. rodelyn says:

    hello po ask ko lng kong paano gumawa ng atchara?:???:

  5. cleo says:

    i like to try this chilled ampalaya salad

  6. MarK Gelo says:

    Kaya nyo ba gumawa ng Ampalaya pie!!!!!!!

  7. Diocelyn Tan says:

    Hi!!! Gusto sana naming gawin na feasibility study yong ampalaya na atchara… pero hindi namin alam panu umpisahan. Sa tingin nyo, ok po ba ito as a business?? Dahil yong ang pinapagawa sa amin…

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