Upo is a kind of vegetable easily found everywhere in the market in the Philippines.

Its English name is bottle gourd because it has an elongated shape. It is easy to saute with some meat like chicken, pork and seafood and also this vegetable can be a dish on its own. These cheap vegetables give us amazing health benefits.

It acts as a diuretic, reduces liver inflammation, has a cooling effect, reduces blood sugar levels, and reduces the risk of urinary infection and high blood pressure. Consuming up has a good effect on our body in terms of health.

Table of Contents

Ingredients:

1 small upo / bottle gourd
10 pcs shrimp, wash, clean, deveined, and take-off heads and set aside for another soup dish
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 onion, cut
4 gloves, minced
Cooking oil
1/2 cup of Water

Seasoning:

2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp chicken powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Procedure:

Wash the bottle gourd then cut off the neck. Use a knife or vegetable peeler to remove the bottle gourd’s pale green skin.
Work your way down the gourd lengthwise to make this step faster. Cut into 1/4 lengthwise, then slice into at least 1/2 inch portion.
In a pan, heat oil and saute garlic, onion, and tomato. Add shrimp and stir-fry for a min.
Add the cut upo, seasoning, and water Simmer for about 3-5 minutes or until fully cooked.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice while it’s hot!

Cooking Tips:

The newly exposed, bright green layer is a bit slippery, so be careful as you work.
Try to choose young upo and so no need to throw or disregard the seeds, you can include them in your cooking process.
Do not overcook.
Alternative meat: chicken, minced beef, minced pork, or octopus (any seafood).
Do not throw the shrimp heads, you can keep them for your future cooking or for your broth.

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