GINISANG MUNGGO

 

Monday the 12th of June marks Filipino Independence Day and is often termed the ‘day of freedom’. In 1962 it was made a national public holiday to celebrate this momentous moment and this year marks 120 years since the Philippines gained independence from their Spanish rulers.. As it is an official public holiday, most people in the Philippines have the day off to take part in the nationwide celebrations andparades, as well as celebrations between families, friends and local circles. Large Filipino communities across the world also join in the celebrations with a particularly large parade and celebration taking place in New York each year.

To mark the occasion I want to share with you a dish I adored growing up. Ginisang Munggo (Ginisang means ‘sauteed’) or just ‘Munggo’ - whole mung bean stew with greens served thick over rice  or as soup, sometimes with coconut milk. Probably not the most appetising to look at but as a child I loved the texture and earthy umami flavour served over piping hot rice. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food.

Usually made with shrimp paste or ‘bagoong’ and pork or shrimp, this is a vegan/vegetarian version which is lighter in flavour but you get to enjoy the aromatic garlic, ginger, onion and the bitterness of the greens. Coconut milk adds a subtle sweetness. Add some tamari for that umami flavour and use lemon juice for a tang to compliment the salty taste. You can also use homemade bone broth or a quality meat or shrimp stock cube - avoid veg stock or bouillon which will have European herbs in it, tasty but a flavour diversion!

My mum always talks about her love of malunggay leaves - aka moringa to us in the West - which you may have heard of through the ‘superfood’ movement. And kangkong - Filipino spinach. We seek out large spinach (as opposed to the popular baby spinach available in supermarkets) from food markets, otherwise, use any leafy greens - check out the tips below.

METHOD

  1. Soak the mung beans in water to cover by 2cm overnight or for at least 30 minutes.

  2. Drain and rinse the mung beans and place in a large cooking pot with the black peppercorns.

  3. Add 7 cups of water and bring to the boil, simmer for 15 mins or longer until tender, skimming off any foam on the surface. 

  4. In the meantime, prep the aromatics. Score an ‘X’ into the base of each tomato and place in a bowl. Cover in boiling water and leave for a minute. Peel off the skin, cut in half and use a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds. Then slice each half into 4.

  5. In a frying pan, add the ghee and saute the onion and ginger on a medium heat until the onion is translucent. 

  6. Add the minced garlic, saute for a few minutes and then add the tomato slices and saute again.

  7. Once the mung beans are soft (this will depend on how long you have soaked the mung beans), strain off a cup of liquid and set aside. Use the back of a spoon or potato masher and mash half the mung beans. 

  8. Add the sauteed ingredients, mix and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Wash and rough chop the spinach if they are large.

  9. Pour in some of the saved bean broth to get a soupier consistency if you like - we like it brothy! Stir and cover with a lid and simmer for another couple of minutes until the spinach is tender and then swirl in the coconut milk.

  10. Add the lemon juice and adjust the seasoning according to how you'll eat it. Serve as a soup or over rice with any of the optional extras on the table.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 3 as a soup or 6 with rice

1.5 cups mung beans (soaked)

7 cups water

2 tomatoes

1 tbs ghee or coconut oil

1 inch of ginger

1 medium onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp sea salt plus more to taste

½ tsp of whole black peppercorns or add freshly ground black pepper to taste

300g of spinach* (we like big spinach!)

Juice of half a lemon

Optional:

Tamari

Fish sauce

Bone broth

Coconut milk, to taste


 

East by West tip:

*This is such a delicious dish to enjoy your greens with, delicious with chard, young cavolo nero, watercress, spring greens, young kale, lettuce and bok choy. Older leaves will need longer cook times, remove the tough fibrous centres and the stalks of tougher leaves like cavolo nero and kale.

WINTER, VEGETARIAN, LUNCH, DINNER, CELEBRATIONJasmine Hemsley