Lunch Time

I have a small kitchen, yet it serves its purpose. What else but cook my favorite veggie.  

This is bitter gourd, ampalaya in Flipino lingo. Some may not like this vegetable as the name it connotes, bitter and it is so.  While there are times I like it eaten raw, with tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt and vinegar. When I have time to cook, I cook this veggie by sautéing and adding eggs. I do not add water. It has its own juice, enough to cook it on its own. It goes with fried fish, pork chop or simply plain veggie with rice for lunch!

Despite the not too good taste to some, this vegetable is very nutritious. Bitter gourd has the ability to lower blood glucose for diabetics. It is a good source of vitamin C when eaten raw.  It has lutein, good for eye disorders. It has liver cleansing properties and a lot more. Take few minutes searching the web. You will find numerous health benefits this vegetable offers. 

The Murderer

I took this photo of the young bitter gourd in my terrace months ago while it started to grow into a vine.  This vegetable is ampalaya in Filipino lingo. This is one of my favorite vegetables. I put two lines of straw to hold it while it stretched out as it grew.  About three months ago it started to bear fruits but smaller than what I expected. The fruits had not turn any bigger when I noticed they started to become yellowish then turned into orange color indicating fruits had ripened.