Ginisang Monggo

Ginisang Monggo is a simple and delicious mung bean stew dish. It is also a popular Filipino comfort food that is full of flavor and nutritious. Ginisang Monggo is a classic Filipino favorite that is easy to make at home. It is easy to prepare and only few ingredients needed.

Ginisang Monggo or Mung Beans is complemented by different meat, seafood and vegetables. With this simple recipe I used shrimp and vegetables I already have in my fridge. Cooking and eating Ginisang Monggo during Friday's is like a Filipino tradition and it is one of the common post for Filipinos of Instagram on Friday's. Not sure how all this "Monggo Friday" started but some says that by Friday the Filipino working class had little money left to buy anything, so they had to settle for an ingredients that was inexpensive and easy to prepare.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup mung beans
1 stalk lemongrass (optional but makes a difference)
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small small kalabasa (yellow squash) cut into cubes
1 large eggplant, cut into bite size
2-3 cups baby spinach (or alogbati or malunggay leaves)
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1 large onion, sliced thin
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp ground pepper
salt to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 cups water

Instructions

Rinse mung beans and lemongrass in running water and drain.
In a big pot, bring water into a boil. Add mung beans and lemongrass. Bring into a quick boil and reduce heat to simmer for about 30-45 minutes or until fully tender. Add more water if needed. Remove scums and mung beans skin as it floats.
In a saute pan, heat and add cooking oil. Add garlic and onion and stir. Saute for few minutes until aromatic.
Add kalabasa and stir. Allow kalabasa to cook for few minutes stirring occasionally.
Add eggplant and shrimp. Stir gently and cook for a minute.
Add sauteed shrimp and vegetables onto the mung beans pot. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes.
Season with fish sauce and ground pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes. Taste to see if salt is needed.
Add the spinach and stir gently. Cook for a minute.
Transfer in a serving bowl and serve hot with your favorite side dish and steamed rice. Enjoy!