Stuffed Bitter Gourd is somewhat like a dumpling or your regular siomai. Instead of wrapping the filling in a dumpling wrapper, the filling is stuffed in sliced bitter gourd or ampalaya. The bitter gourd is sliced 2 inch long and deseeded. Then, it is steamed for 15 minutes.
Most kids hate bitter gourd because its obviously bitter. I, myself don’t like it. I eat but only to up to certain amount and that’s it. However, most adults love it. They usually cooked it with scrambled eggs. My dad on the other hand has a very brave soul. He eats it ensalada style or just freshly chopped with garlic, onion and tomatoes.
For this stuffed bitter gourd recipe, I used ground chicken instead of pork or beef. My dad loves ampalaya and this is pork free which is good for his health.
Tips
You can use ground pork or beef for this stuffed bitter gourd recipe. To make it healthier, you can add finely chopped carrot which is a common ingredients in our local siomai shops.
I also added shrimps for extra flavor. However, instead of chopping it finely, I coarsely chopped it so you can still eat and feel that shrimp meat in your mouth.
For this recipe I decided to chill the filling for an hour for the flavor to develop and for the ground meat to absorb the seasoning. However, if you are in a hurry you can steam it right away.
It is flavorful as is but if you want a nice kick in every bite I highly suggest drizzling it with chili garlic oil. A dipping sauce of light soy sauce, chili garlic oil and calamansi is also great especially when you have short tolerance for the bitter taste of ampalaya.
Some would suggest to generously salt the ampalaya or bitter gourd for 30 minutes or so to lessen its bitterness. However, if you want to totally get rid of its bitterness I suggest to soak the chopped bitter gourd in salted water over night and wash it several times the following day.
For more chicken dishes check out my Chicken Recipes.
Ingreidents
| 2 pieces | Ampalaya, cut into 2 inch long |
| 1 cup | Salt |
| 500 grams | Ground Chicken |
| 250 grams | Minced Shrimps |
| 8 cloves | Garlic, minced |
| 2 Tablespoons | Chopped Onion Chives |
| 1/4 cup | Instant Oatmeal |
| 3 Tablepsoons | Oyster Sauce |
| 2 Tablespoons | Sesame Oil |
| 1 piece | Egg |
| 1 teaspoon | Salt |
| 1/4 teaspoon | Ground Black Pepper |
Procedure
Remove seeds from the bitter gourd. Generously sprinkle the bitter gourd with salt and let it sit for 1 hour.
Wash thoroughly the bitter gourd and pat with kitchen towel to dry and set a side.
In a bowl, combine chicken, shrimps, garlic, chives, oatmeal, oyster sauce, sesame oil, egg, salt and ground black pepper. Mix well until sticky. Chill for an hour.
Stuff the bitter gourd with the chicken mixture.
Steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with spicy garlic oil.
Stuffed Bitter Gourd
Ingredients
- 2 pieces Ampalaya, cut into 2 inch long
- 1 cup Salt
- 500 grams Ground Chicken
- 250 grams Minced Shrimps
- 8 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 tablepsoons Chopped Onion Chives
- 1/4 cup Instant Oatmeal
- 3 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
- 1 piece Egg
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Remove seeds from the bitter gourd. Generously sprinkle the bitter gourd with salt and let it sit for 1 hour.
- Wash thoroughly the bitter gourd and pat with kitchen towel to dry and set a side.
- In a bowl, combine chicken, shrimps, garlic, chives, oatmeal, oyster sauce, sesame oil, egg, salt and ground black pepper. Mix well until sticky. Chill for an hour.
- Stuff the bitter gourd with the chicken mixture.
- Steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with spicy garlic oil.
