Ginisang Munggo (Monggo) is often described as a Filipino comfort food. It is a nutrient-rich stew that’s made up of delicious, hearty, and affordable ingredients. No wonder it became a staple food in many Pinoy families.
It is a simple dish to cook, one that you can easily put together especially during the rainy days. Learn how to cook Ginisang Munggo and learn how to make it more flavorful with this recipe.
Aside from the recipe, this article will also teach you cooking and ingredient tips so it’s best to read them before jumping to the recipe.
What is Ginisang Munggo
Ginisang Munggo (also spelled Monggo) translates to Sauteed Mung Beans and it is also known as Mung Bean Stew or Mung Bean Soup.
It is made up of cooked mung beans, a popular legume in the Philippines, combined with pork, spinach, and other optional light proteins.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Munggo
Munggo or mung bean is a nutritious bean grown in Asia. It is a well known ingredient used in a variety of savory and sweet dishes. You can easily find this in markets and grocery stores here in the Philippines.
Photo of mung bean from verywellfit.
Leaves
Spinach is the more commonly used leaves in this dish. In case you are not a fan of spinach or it is difficult to find them, many other types of leaves can be used.
You may try malunggay, alugbati, ampalaya (bitter gourd), kalabasa (squash), or chili leaves for ginisang munggo.
Fish sauce
Patis or fish sauce is a common Filipino seasoning used in many dishes. It doesn’t only add saltiness but it also boosts the overall flavor of the dish.
In case you can’t find one, you may use regular salt but you need to use ⅓ to ½ of what is required of the patis. Make sure to taste as you add to prevent over-salting your dish.
Optional Ingredients
Ginisang munggo is already tasty but it wouldn’t hurt to add additional ingredients to heighten up the flavor.
Shrimp is a common ingredient that is added with the pork. And when it comes to the toppings, there are quite a number of possibilities. Go ahead and try chicharon (pork rind) or even pair it with lechon kawali if you have one.
If you are into the leaner options, common toppings are shredded smoked fish (tinapa) or dilis (anchovies).
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like pork, onion, garlic, tomato, shrimp, and cooking oil. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pot (Kaldero)- You will be needing a cooking pot or a casserole or pan deep enough to contain the liquids in this recipe. You will use the pot in boiling the munggo and in cooking the dish.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Ginisang Munggo
Cooking Ginisang Munggo would involve three major steps.
First part is to clean, then cook the mung beans by boiling them. When the mung beans become tender, you simply set it aside together with the water. We will be adding them back later.
For the second part, we will be sauteing the aromatics with the meats. We will also season them with a popular Filipino sauce called Patis or fish sauce. In case patis isn’t available to you, see the notes on ingredients section below.
Lastly, we will add back the cooked mung beans, simmer it for a while, then add the spinach (or your preferred leaves from the possible options). Upon serving, we have the option to add toppings for extra flavor like chicharon (pork rind) and tinapa (smoked fish).
Cooking Tips
- When buying mung beans, you may find that there are two types, the green ones and the yellowish ones. I suggest you pick the green ones as they have better texture for this dish.
- No need to presoak the beans. Remember also to check the mung beans’ pack date, older beans take longer to cook.
- The boiled mung beans texture is already good in itself, however if you want a finer texture, you may opt to break them down to smaller pieces using the back of a spoon or even use a blender.
How to Serve Ginisang Munggo
Ginisang Munggo is best served warm with steamed white rice. You can have it on its own or with another dish like fried fish or fried chicken.
How to Store and Reheat Ginisang Munggo
In case you have leftovers, you can transfer the ginisang munggo into a covered container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
To reheat, simply transfer to a cooking pan and apply medium heat until warm enough. You may add more water to loosen it up but make sure to adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Other Vegetable Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Classic Ginisang Munggo (Monggo) Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pot
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup mung beans, or munggo
- 1/2 lb (250 g) pork, thinly sliced
- 1 pc medium-sized onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pcs tomato, diced
- 2 cups spinach, (or malunggay or alugbati leaves)
- 3 tbsp patis, fish sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 10 pcs shrimp, peeled and deveined, optional
- Chicharon (pork rind), optional topping
- Tinapa (smoked fish), shredded, optional topping
Instructions
- Clean the mung beans by discarding dirt and bad beans then wash with running water.
- Pour-in the water into a cooking pot and bring to a boil.
- Add-in the mung beans and simmer until soft and tender (about 30 to 45 minutes), then set aside. You may crush the mung beans with the back of the spoon.
- In another cooking pot, pour-in and heat the cooking oil.
- When hot enough, add-in the garlic, onion, and tomato and saute until tender and aromatic.
- Add-in the pork and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add-the fish sauce and simmer for 5 minutes to release the flavor of the pork (you may also add water and simmer for another 5 minutes to tenderize the pork).
- Add-in the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add-in the cooked mung beans (including the water).
- Stir then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add-in the spinach and cook for 1 more minute.
- Remove from heat and add optional toppings. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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