Beef ampalaya is not a traditional Filipino recipe but it was well accepted as one of the favorite Filipino dishes. It has some oriental blend with the addition of oyster sauce and black beans which are widely used in Chinese and other Asian cuisines. Cooking is simple, all you need is to saute the ingredients and simmer for a few minutes then you have a tasty beef ampalaya dish.
Preparing the ampalaya or bitter gourd is simple. To remove the bitter taste, soak it first in water with few teaspoons of rock salt for a few hours. Don’t squeeze the ampalaya with salt which some people recommend as it is not effective. Using baking soda is also as good method. Use it instead of salt with water and soak the ampalaya for a few hours then rinse before cooking.
How to Cook Beef Ampalaya (Beef with Bitter Gourd)
Ingredients
- 1/2 kilo beef tenderloin slice into strips
- 1 large bitter gourd or ampalaya
- 1 small size onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/8 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp salted black beans optional
- cooking oil for sauteing
Instructions
How to cook beef ampalaya:
- Marinade the beef strips with soy sauce and pepper at least 15 minutes.
- In a small wok or large skillet heat oil and stir fry the beef strips until it turns brown and sizzles. Set aside.
- Heat oil again and saute garlic, onion and ampalaya.
- Then add the oyster sauce, black beans and 1/4 cup water and simmer for at least 3 minutes.
- Add the cooked beef and put a little magic sarap, about 1/2 tsp. then add the sugar.
- Season with salt and mix then simmer again for a few seconds.
- Turn off heat and serve hot.
Video
Watch the Video on How to Cook Beef Ampalaya:
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Hi Stout butterfly, glad to hear your story.
Hi. I was not really a fan of bitter gourd but because of your recipe i started loving it.
Sharing is caring. Thanks.
What to do with the black beans?
Hi Kat, sorry I forgot to include it on the procedure but I corrected the recipe already. Thanks for the feedback!
I appreciate your kind of cooking on how you cook like a professional! Yah thats true..and I want to learn more on how to cook more food I dont know to cook for. And not just that I will also want to discover more new food because I want to be a chef/culinary first . At my age, Im 14 yrs.old and when I go to college I will know the different techniques in cooking delicious foods that make other people see it and know it.Ill love who also love to cook like me.
Hi Jamelle, thanks for sharing your opinion and I’m sure you will be a great chef someday! Cheers!
Nice beef ampalaya recipe you have here. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Boomy, I really appreciate your kind words! Thanks for visiting!