Instant Pot Ginisang Monggo
(gee-nee-SANG MONG-go)
Weeknight Ulam: The Heart of the Family Table
Forty minutes. That is the exact window between setting the Instant Pot pressure valve to seal over unsoaked mung beans and sitting down to a hard-working weeknight survival stew built on garlic, onions, and tomatoes melting into rendered pork fat. By adapting the essential ginisa technique to the pressure cooker, you get no fake fusions, just the deep, rich taste of a long-simmered pork belly stew, ready on a Tuesday—so wait until the valve hisses its final release, ladle it over warm jasmine rice, and eat.
Before you start
Skip the pre-soak.
The pressure cooker eliminates the need to soak the mung beans overnight; they will cook perfectly tender directly from their dried state.
Have your aromatics ready.
Chop the pork, onion, garlic, and tomato before you turn on the Instant Pot, as the sauté process moves rapidly once the pork fat renders.
Ingredients
- whole green mung beans1 cup
- vegetable oil1 tbsp
- pork belly1/2 lb
- yellow or red onion1 med
- garlic5 med clove
- Roma tomato1 large
- fish sauce2 tbsp
- pork or beef bouillon cube1 large
- water or low-sodium chicken broth3 1/2 cup
- ground black pepper1/4 tsp
- fresh baby spinach2 cup
- pork rinds1/2 cup
Method
- 01
Sauté the pork to render the fat.
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and let it heat for two minutes. Add the vegetable oil and cubed pork belly, cooking for 4 to 5 minutes until the fat renders and the edges crisp to a golden brown.
- 02
Build the foundational ginisa.
Push the pork to one side of the pot, then add the chopped onion to the hot fat and cook until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic for thirty seconds until highly fragrant, followed by the diced tomato, crushing it gently with a wooden spoon as it softens.
- 03
Deglaze with fish sauce and add the base.
Pour in the fish sauce and let it bubble fiercely for thirty seconds to coat the meat and aromatics. Add the rinsed mung beans, bouillon cube, black pepper, and water, vigorously scraping the bottom of the pot to release any caramelized browned bits and prevent a burn warning.
- 04
Pressure cook the stew.
Cancel the Sauté function, secure the lid, and set the valve to the Sealing position. Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes.
- 05
Allow a ten-minute natural pressure release.
Do not touch the release valve when the timer sounds, or boiling starchy foam will erupt from the pot. Let it sit entirely undisturbed for exactly 10 minutes, then carefully switch the valve to Venting to release any residual pressure.
- 06
Wilt the spinach and serve.
Open the lid away from your face and stir in the baby spinach for thirty seconds until the leaves are bright green and wilted. Ladle the hot stew into deep bowls over steamed jasmine rice, topping generously with crushed pork rinds right before eating so they retain their crackling crunch.
Notes
Use whole green mung beans.
Do not substitute split yellow mung beans (moong dal). They will disintegrate entirely into a smooth puree and destroy the rustic, chunky texture that is essential to the authentic Filipino dish.
The ultimate grandma trick.
Adding a pork or beef bouillon cube is a common modern trick in Philippine home kitchens to quickly establish a deep, long-simmered flavor profile on a busy weeknight.
From Cook Filipino in America.