Vegetarian ginisang monggoSautéed mung bean stew with tofu
All over the Philippines, ginisang monggo is what's on the table on Friday, a habit from the days of meatless Fridays that never went away. Whole green mung beans are simmered until they burst into a thick, savoury stew with lots of garlic, onion and tomato and finished with malunggay (moringa) or spinach leaves. Home cooks usually add pork or dried shrimp and season with fish sauce; this vegetarian version uses golden fried tofu and soy sauce instead. A portion gives about 25 g of protein from the mung beans and tofu, and it is filling enough to eat with rice as a whole meal. The most common mistake is adding the greens too early, so they turn grey and slimy; put them in at the very end and turn off the heat. Chef's tip: let the beans simmer until most have split their skins and some collapse into the liquid; that is what makes the stew creamy without any thickener.





