Hearty Mung Bean Stew

Ginisang Monggo
As a university student on a tight budget in Southeast Asia, I love to get a bargain and find the cheapest possible way to eat. Ginisang Monggo is the Philippines answer to lentil soup. Cheap, easy to make, delicious and extremely nutritious—there is nothing not to like about monggo—except perhaps the way it looks—a sort of mushy vegetable porridge. But while the basic monggo recipe can be a little bland, the secret is to add the bittersweet combo of squash and bitter gourd (ampalaya) or the leaves and top it off with some crispy dried fish (tuyo) or some chicharon bits which add salt and texture to the meal. I grow (ampalaya) in pots on my rooftop in Manila, so while I normally cook the fruit of the plant in pinakbet or with some eggs, I strip the leaves from the old ampalaya plant to go in my Ginisang Monggo, ensuring nothing from the garden goes to waste.

Good for 6–8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes