Two Filipino Recipes: Stir-Fried Bitter Gourd with Egg and Steamed Okra with Lemon-Soy Dipping Sauce
Being rather cosmopolitan, in the best sense of the word, I have friends from all over the world. Last week, I met my Filipino friend Imelda, whom I have known for about 20 years. She told me that her sister, who has lived in Bologna for close to 30 years, was coming to Finland on Sunday to visit her for a week.
I immediately told Imelda to come over for dinner and, naturally, to bring her sister along. They had already eaten, so we agreed to have dinner on Friday instead.
So tonight, I finally had the pleasure of meeting Imelda's sister. Having lived in Bologna for so long, she is naturally fluent in Italian, which gave us plenty to talk about. She arrived bearing gifts: three bitter gourds and a generous bagful of okra, even though I had specifically told Imelda not to trouble her sister with bringing anything.
There was a little horticultural exchange involved, too. In return, I gave Imelda several varieties of courgette and some ripe tomatoes from my garden.
I think I'll use the bitter gourds to make Ginisang Ampalaya, a Filipino dish of sliced bitter gourd sautéed with garlic, onions and ripe tomatoes, with beaten eggs added towards the end. The savoury aromatics and eggs help balance the distinctive bitterness of the gourd. I will, however, wait for Imelda and her sister's own recipe before attempting it.
As for the okra, Imelda says she simply steams and then dips it in soy sauce with lemon. Simple.
I was also very pleased to meet Imelda's husband, after all these years, who was kindly acting as chauffeur while Imelda and her sister explored the Helsinki metropolitan area.
I'm now very much looking forward to preparing dinner for Imelda and her family when they return from their trip to Stockholm and Tallinn on Friday. This time, perhaps, the produce from my garden will get to play its part too.
UPDATE #1: I prepared the bitter gourd for our Monday dinner using Imelda's recipe.
Bitter Gourd with Eggs
Ingredients
- 3 green bitter gourds, halved, with the seeds and pith removed
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, halved or chopped
- Ripe tomatoes, as many as you like, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper, optional
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for sautéing
Method
Heat a little extra-virgin olive oil in a frying pan and gently sauté the garlic and onion. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they begin to soften.
Add the sliced bitter gourd and continue cooking until tender but still with a little bite. Towards the end, pour in the beaten eggs and stir everything together until the eggs are just cooked.
Finish with freshly ground black pepper.
Voilà!
UPDATE #2: I prepared steamed okra for our Tuesday dinner using Imelda's recipe.
Bring the water into boil, and then insert the steam tray into the pot
Ingredients
Okra, well rinsed, trimmed and halvedMethod
Steaming is better than boiling, as the okra keeps its texture and flavour better. Close the lid and set a timer for no longer than 5 minutes. Keep the heat at high.