Ginisang Munggo is a comforting stew made with mung beans that have been cooked to a creamy consistency. This hearty and nutritious dish is often prepared with a medley of flavorful ingredients, making it a delicious staple in Filipino cuisine.
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What is Ginisang Munggo?
Ginisang Munggo, also known as Mung Bean Stew, is a dish made with mung beans or munggo. These small, green legumes are cooked with shrimp or pork and may include vegetables like chili pepper leaves (dahon ng sili), malunggay leaves (moringa leaves), ampalaya (bitter gourd), or camote tops (talbos ng kamote).
Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Dried Mung Beans: These small green legumes have an earthy flavor and can absorb the flavors of your dishes. Soaking them in water for at least 4 hours or overnight softens and reduces cooking time. Drain and rinse before using.
- Shrimp: Use medium to large-sized whole shrimp, as you'll be using the heads and shells to make a stock. If you prefer a quicker option, you can use shrimp, pork, or chicken bouillon or base. You can also substitute with other proteins like pork, chicken, or tofu.
- Bagoong Alamang: This fermented shrimp paste adds a salty and savory umami flavor. You can use other umami-rich ingredients like fish sauce, oyster sauce, or soy sauce.
- Sotanghon: Thin, glass or cellophane noodles made from mung bean starch. These noodles have a translucent appearance and readily absorb the flavors they are cooked with.
- Chili Pepper Leaves: These leaves have a mild peppery taste and a hint of spiciness without being overpowering. If using fresh, simply wash them and remove any tough stems. If frozen, thaw them first and drain any excess moisture. As alternatives, you can use spinach, mustard greens, malunggay leaves, or talbos ng kamote (sweet potato leaves).
How to make this recipe
NOTE: It's recommended to soak the mung beans for at least 4 hours or overnight. However, if you're in a hurry, you can proceed with cooking without soaking, but be prepared for a slightly longer cooking time.
Step 1: Prepare the shrimp
Peel the shrimp, setting aside the heads and shells to make the stock. To devein, insert a sharp tool, like a toothpick, near the tail end to make a small incision along the back. Gently pull out the long, dark vein.
Step 2: Make the shrimp stock
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, lightly brown the shrimp heads and shells in a bit of oil. Crush the heads slightly to extract their juices.
Add a bay leaf, 6 cups of water, about 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use half for table salt), and ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil for around 5 minutes, reducing the heat if it bubbles too much. Strain the stock and set aside.
Step 3: Soak the sotanghon
Soak the sotanghon in warm water until they are soft, then drain them.
Step 4: Sear the shrimp
In a heavy-bottomed pot, add about a thin coating of oil and set over meium-high heat. seeason//Sear the shrimp for about a minute on each side, though the exact time may vary depending on their size. Once they turn pink and opaque, transfer them to a plate.
Step 5: Sauté aromatics and shrimp paste
Add more oil as needed and reduce the heat to medium. Sauté the onion and garlic until softened.
Add the tomatoes and cook until they break down and start to caramelize. Stir in the sautéed shrimp paste.
PRO TIP: Sautéing the aromatics long enough until they start to caramelize is essential for developing a rich flavor base. This step intensifies their natural flavors, adding depth and complexity to the dish.
Step 6: Cook the mung beans
Add the mung beans along with the stock you previously prepared (a little over 5 cups). Mix together and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
Cover and simmer over medium-low heat, until the mung beans reach your desired level of tenderness, which may take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.
Some enjoy a firmer texture in their mung beans, while others prefer them softer and mushier. Add more stock if necessary to prevent them from sticking and burning at the bottom of the pot.
Taste and season as you like, using ingredients such as fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and ground pepper.
PRO TIP: To speed up the process and achieve a creamier consistency, you can use an immersion blender when the mung beans are partially tender. Blend the mixture partially, not completely, to achieve the desired creaminess.
Step 7: Add the sotanghon
Add the softened noodles to the pot, stirring gently. As the sotanghon cooks for about 2 minutes, they will absorb the liquid from the broth.
You'll know they're done when they turn mostly transparent and are soft yet slightly chewy. If the mixture seems too dry, add more liquid as desired to maintain a soup-like consistency.
Step 8: Add shrimp and chili pepper leaves
Add the cooked shrimp and chili pepper leaves to the hot mixture. Stir them in gently, then immediately turn off the heat to avoid overcooking the shrimp.
Garnish your Ginisang Munggo with crushed chicharon on top and enjoy with steamed white rice!
Recipe FAQs
Soaking the mung beans for at least 4 hours or overnight is recommended as it softens them and reduces their cooking time. However, if you're short on time, you can skip soaking, but note that the mung beans may require a longer cooking time.
Yes. You can substitute shrimp with other proteins like pork, chicken, or tofu based on your preference or dietary requirements.
The cooking time can vary depending on personal preference. Some like them slightly firm, while others enjoy them soft and thoroughly cooked. Feel free to adjust the cooking time to achieve your desired level of tenderness. It's important to note that longer cooking will result in softer beans.
What to serve with Ginisang Munggo
- Steamed Rice: A classic and perfect companion to soak up the flavorful stew.
- Lumpiang Shanghai: Crispy spring rolls filled with seasoned meat. Lumpiang Gulay and Dynamite Lumpia are delicious variations.
- Fried Fish: Golden and crispy fish fillets or whole fish.
- Crispy Pata: Deep-fried pork knuckles or hocks, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.
- Lechon Kawali: Crispy deep-fried or air-fried pork belly.
- Tinapa (Smoked Fish): Smoky and savory smoked fish.
Other vegetable recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Ginisang Munggo
Equipment
- Saucepan (for the stock)
- Heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried mung beans rinsed; see note
- 12 ounces shrimp peeled and deveined; see note
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 ripe tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoons bagoong alamang or sautéed shrimp paste see note
- 6 cups water more as needed
- 2 bundles sotanghon (glass noodles) see note
- 1 bunch chili pepper leaves sub: spinach; see note
- Fish sauce or oyster sauce to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Crushed chicharon for garnish
- Neutral oil for sautéing
Instructions
- NOTE: It's recommended to soak the mung beans for at least 4 hours or overnight. However, if you're in a hurry, you can proceed with cooking without soaking, but be prepared for a slightly longer cooking time.
- Peel the shrimp, setting aside the heads and shells to make the stock. To devein, insert a sharp tool, like a toothpick, near the tail end to make a small incision along the back. Gently pull out the long, dark vein.
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, lightly brown the shrimp heads and shells in a bit of oil. Crush the heads slightly to extract their juices.
- Add a bay leaf, 6 cups of water, about 1 teaspoon kosher salt (use half for table salt), and ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil for around 5 minutes, reducing the heat if it bubbles too much. Strain the stock and set aside.
- Soak the sotanghon in warm water until they are soft, then drain them.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, add about a thin coating of oil and set over meium-high heat. seeason//Sear the shrimp for about a minute on each side, though the exact time may vary depending on their size. Once they turn pink and opaque, transfer them to a plate.
- Add more oil as needed and reduce the heat to medium. Sauté the onion and garlic until softened.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until they break down and start to caramelize. Stir in the sautéed shrimp paste.
- Add the mung beans along with the stock you previously prepared (a little over 5 cups). Mix together and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Cover and simmer over medium-low heat, until the mung beans reach your desired level of tenderness, which may take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.Some enjoy a firmer texture in their mung beans, while others prefer them softer and mushier. Add more stock if necessary to prevent them from sticking and burning at the bottom of the pot.PRO TIP: To speed up the process and achieve a creamier consistency, you can use an immersion blender when the mung beans are partially tender. Blend the mixture partially, not completely, to achieve the desired creaminess.
- Taste and season as you like, using ingredients such as fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and ground pepper.
- Add the softened noodles to the pot, stirring gently. As the sotanghon cooks for about 2 minutes, they will absorb the liquid from the broth.You'll know they're done when they turn mostly transparent and are soft yet slightly chewy. If the mixture seems too dry, add more liquid as desired to maintain a soup-like consistency.
- Add the cooked shrimp and chili pepper leaves to the hot mixture. Stir them in gently, then immediately turn off the heat to avoid overcooking the shrimp.
- Garnish your Ginisang Munggo with crushed chicharon on top and enjoy with steamed white rice!
Notes
- Dried Mung Beans: These small green legumes have an earthy flavor and can absorb the flavors of your dishes. Soaking them in water for at least 4 hours or overnight softens and reduces cooking time. Drain and rinse before using.
- Shrimp: Use medium to large-sized whole shrimp, as you'll be using the heads and shells to make a stock. If you prefer a quicker option, you can use shrimp, pork, or chicken bouillon or base. You can also substitute with other proteins like pork, chicken, or tofu.
- Bagoong Alamang: This fermented shrimp paste adds a salty and savory umami flavor. You can use other umami-rich ingredients like fish sauce, oyster sauce, or soy sauce.
- Sotanghon: Thin, glass or cellophane noodles made from mung bean starch. These noodles have a translucent appearance and readily absorb the flavors they are cooked with.
- Chili Pepper Leaves: These leaves have a mild peppery taste and a hint of spiciness without being overpowering. If using fresh, simply wash them and remove any tough stems. If frozen, thaw them first and drain any excess moisture. As alternatives, you can use spinach, mustard greens, malunggay leaves (moringa leaves), or talbos ng kamote (sweet potato leaves).
Ceecee
Can i use split pea? Is it the same?
Nora Reyes
Hi Ceecee, Yes, you can use split peas as a substitue, but keep in mind they have a slightly different flavor and texture than mung beans. They tend to be sweeter, less earthy, and generally become softer and creamier when cooked. Still delicious, just a little different! 😊🍲