Filipino Ampalaya Guisado
Ampalaya Guisado is a classic Filipino stir-fry featuring sliced bitter melon (ampalaya) sautéed with garlic, onions, tomatoes, and often scrambled eggs or ground meat. It's a humble, everyday vegetable dish from the Philippines, commonly served as a main viand (ulam) with steamed rice. The cooking method helps temper the vegetable's characteristic strong bitterness.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is relatively low in carbohydrates and fat, with protein content depending on whether eggs or meat are added. It is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and dietary fiber, and a single serving typically contains around 100-150 calories.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 150 kcal |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Carbs | 12 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 600 mg |
| Potassium | 350 mg |
| Vitamin C | 45 mg |
| Vitamin A | 200 µg RAE |
| Iron | 2.5 mg |
| Calcium | 60 mg |
| Vitamin K | 30 µg |
| Folate | 60 µg |
| Magnesium | 40 mg |
Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, ampalaya is deeply valued in Filipino cuisine not just for its taste but for its believed health benefits, particularly in helping to manage blood sugar levels. Nutritionally, its unique bitter compound, charantin, is studied for its potential hypoglycemic effects.
