Ginisang Monggo
(gee-nee-SANG mong-GO)
Sabaw for the Soul (What Lola Made When We Were Sick)
In the Philippines, the smell of garlic, tomatoes, and earthy beans simmering on a Friday means one thing: Ginisang Monggo. It is the ultimate egalitarian comfort food, the stew grandmothers default to when the weather turns cold or the kids are home sick. This is the unpretentious, real-deal bowl—built on the alchemy of melting tomatoes into a jammy paste and mashing the beans just enough to organically thicken the broth. We swap hard-to-find bitter melon leaves for standard supermarket spinach, leaning on rendered pork fat, fish sauce, and a humble bouillon cube to deliver that undeniable, soul-restoring taste of home.
Before you start
Soak the beans.
Place the rinsed mung beans in a bowl, cover with an inch of cold water, and soak for at least 1 hour, or ideally all day on the counter while you are at work. This ensures they cook evenly and rapidly on a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
- whole green mung beans1 cup
- water4 cup
- neutral oil1 tbsp
- pork belly1/4 lb
- yellow onion1 med
- garlic5 clove
- Roma tomatoes2 med
- fish sauce2 tbsp
- pork bouillon cube1 small
- black pepper1/2 tsp
- fresh spinach3 cup
- pork rinds1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Boil and mash the beans.
Drain the soaked beans, combine them in a pot with the 4 cups of fresh water, and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the skins burst. To achieve that authentically thick, creamy texture, use the back of a spoon to physically mash a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot, then turn off the heat and set aside.
- 02
Render the pork.
In a separate Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat and cook the pork belly strips for 5 to 7 minutes until the fat renders and the edges crisp.
- 03
Build the aromatic base.
Toss the onion and garlic into the rendered pork fat, cooking until fragrant and translucent. Add the tomatoes and do not rush them; cook and press them with your spoon for about 5 minutes until they break down completely into a soft, caramelized paste.
- 04
Simmer the stew.
Pour the mashed beans and their starchy cooking liquid directly into the Dutch oven. Stir in the bouillon cube, fish sauce, and black pepper, then simmer gently for 10 minutes to meld the flavors.
- 05
Wilt the greens and garnish.
Taste the broth, add more fish sauce if it needs more savory punch, and turn off the heat. Fold in the fresh spinach to wilt, and serve immediately alongside steamed white rice, stirring in the crushed pork rinds at the table to preserve their crunch.
Notes
Embrace the bouillon.
While high-end adaptations might scoff, a commercial pork bouillon cube is the nostalgic secret to the savory depth found in modern Filipino home cooking.
Vegetarian adaptation.
Omit the pork belly, bouillon, and fish sauce. Use vegetable broth, soy sauce, and finish the bowls with crispy fried garlic and fried tofu cubes instead of pork rinds.
From Cook Filipino in America.