Ginisang Ampalaya
Ginisang Ampalaya at Itlog
Learn ginisang ampalaya with egg, tomato, red onion, and patis—tender green ampalaya slices and soft scrambled egg curds with rice.
Serves 4 · 35m total
The Story
Ginisang ampalaya with itlog is the ulam that teaches kids to eat gulay—if the eggs are fluffy enough and the bitterness is tamed just right.
The plate in the photo is the egg-forward version many Tagalog kitchens make on tight budgets: no meat, just ampalaya sweated and rinsed, sautéed with red onion and tomato until jammy, then finished with big soft egg curds folded in at the last second so they stay yellow and cloud-like.
A pinch of chili flakes at the table cuts the bitter edge. Pair with rice and something sweet (tocino, longganisa) if you are feeding skeptics.
Best paired with
Steamed white rice, red chili flakes or siling labuyo, patis with calamansi, and sweet tocino or longganisa for contrast
Use it in these KusinaPH recipes
Lola's Tips
- ✦Salt, squeeze, rinse—non-negotiable if you want less bitterness without losing ampalaya flavor.
- ✦Scramble eggs first and fold at the end—that is how you get the fluffy curds in the photo.
- ✦Red onion and extra tomato give sweetness that balances ampalaya better than yellow onion alone.
- ✦High heat + dry ampalaya = green slices; low heat + wet pan = gray mush.
- ✦Chili flakes at the table let each person choose heat without scorching the whole batch.
- ✦Add ground pork only if you want a heartier ulam—the egg-tomato version is classic on its own.
Substitutions
- ground pork → ground chicken or skip for meatless
- patis → soy sauce (use slightly less)
- red onion → yellow onion plus a pinch of sugar
- ampalaya → sayote strips for a milder gulay ulam
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Toss ampalaya slices with 1 tbsp salt. Rest 10 minutes, then squeeze firmly to release bitter juice. Rinse under cold water and pat completely dry—wet ampalaya will steam instead of stir-fry.
- 2
Beat eggs with a pinch of salt. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan over medium-high. Pour in eggs and push into large, soft curds—keep them moist and slightly underdone. Remove to a plate; do not chop fine.
- 3
In the same pan, add remaining oil. Sauté garlic and red onion until translucent. Add tomato and cook until it breaks down and the pan looks jammy.
- 4
Optional: push aromatics to the side, add ground pork, and cook until no longer pink. Mix back into the tomato base.
- 5
Add ampalaya. Stir-fry over high heat 3–4 minutes until tender-crisp and still bright green. Splash in water, patis, pepper, and half a crumbled Knorr vegetable cube if using—there should be a light savory sheen at the bottom of the pan, not a pool of soup.
- 6
Return eggs to the pan. Fold gently once or twice so curds stay big and yellow. Serve immediately with rice and chili flakes on the side.
Kitchen Timer · 20 min prep first
15:00
