Stuffed Ampalaya

Stuffed ampalaya is a vegetable and meat dish that is composed of bitter gourd (a.k.a., bitter melon) and ground pork. Stuffed ampalaya in english is "stuffed bitter melon". The ingredients include:

• 2 pieces ampalaya (about 1 to 12 inches each), cored and sliced about 2 inches

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 3/4 cup carrots, minced
• 1 cup bread, shredded
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 piece raw egg
  
  
  Cooking Procedure:
  
  
  Wash the ampalaya well. Cut off the top and bottom parts. Cut the body into 2-inch thick rings. With a sharp narrow knife, cut around cavity of theampalaya to remove the seeds.
  To remove the excess bitterness, place the ampalaya in a glass bowl and sprinkle liberally with rock salt. Cover and let stand for at least 20 minutes. With your thumb and forefinger, carefully squeeze out the water expelled by the ampalaya. Wash and place in a clean bowl. Pour boiling water over the ampalaya and allow to soak for five minutes. Drain, splash with cold water and drain again.
  Mix together the rest of the ingredients to make the filling. Use a tablespoon of the meat mixture to stuff the cavities pressing to pack in the filling well. Place in a shallow baking pan and bake in a 350^oF oven for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the filling is lightly browned.
  Note that if you’re using fish, chicken or shrimps for your filling you may have to lightly grease the baking pan to avoid sticking. This isn’t necessary if you’re using ground pork in the mixture because whatever fatit has will grease the pan during cooking.
  Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
  
  Filipino Recipes, Healthy Eating, & Diet | Panlasang Pinoy. Web. 20 Aug. 2011. <http://panlasangpinoy.com/>.