A hearty Filipino mung bean stew simmered with pork, greens, and a touch of chili heat.
Ginisang munggo is a staple Filipino home-cooked stew built on mung beans simmered until soft and creamy, sauteed first with garlic, onion, and tomato, then enriched with pork and leafy greens. It's humble, everyday food -- filling, protein-rich, and one of the most common weeknight dishes across Filipino households, often eaten with rice and fried fish on the side. The technique is straightforward but matters: the mung beans need a proper simmer, 25-30 minutes, until they break down into a naturally thick, slightly creamy stew rather than staying whole and firm. Sauteing the garlic, onion, and tomato first (ginisa is the Filipino term for this saute base) before adding the beans and pork builds a savory foundation the beans then absorb. A pinch of chili flakes or fresh chili adds a gentle background heat against the stew's natural sweetness from the pork and beans. Served over rice, ginisang munggo is the kind of dish grandmothers make without measuring, adjusted by feel until the beans are soft and the broth is rich.
Serves 5
Boil mung beans in water or stock until soft and starting to break down, 25-30 minutes, adding more water if needed.
In a separate pot, heat oil and saute garlic, onion, and tomatoes until the tomatoes break down, about 5 minutes.
Add pork to the saute base and cook until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes.
Add the cooked mung beans and their liquid to the pork mixture. Stir in fish sauce, chili, and black pepper.
Simmer uncovered 15 minutes until the stew thickens and the pork is tender.
Stir in spinach or malunggay in the last 2 minutes until just wilted, then serve over rice.
Simmer the mung beans until they're genuinely soft and starting to fall apart -- this is what gives the stew its characteristic creamy texture.
Don't skip the initial garlic-onion-tomato saute; it's the flavor base the whole dish is built on.
Add the greens at the very end so they stay bright and don't turn mushy.
Use shrimp instead of pork for a lighter, coastal version popular in some regions.
Add bitter melon slices for a more traditional bitter-savory balance.
Make it vegetarian with vegetable stock and mushrooms instead of pork.
Keeps well refrigerated for up to 4 days and often tastes better the next day. Reheat with a splash of water since it thickens considerably when chilled.
Ginisang munggo is one of the most common everyday dishes in Filipino home cooking, valued historically as an affordable, protein-rich meal, and remains a school-week staple across the Philippines.
No soaking is needed -- mung beans cook relatively quickly compared to other dried legumes, softening fully within 25-30 minutes.
Spinach or even kale, chopped small, work as accessible substitutes.
Yes, it's easily made vegetarian using vegetable stock and skipping the pork, or adding mushrooms for umami instead.
Per serving (317g / 11.2 oz) · 5 servings total
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