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Vegetarian, South and Southeast Asian

Ginisang monggo with rice

Ginisang monggo is a Filipino mung bean stew simmered with garlic, tomatoes, and spinach, served over white rice. Made for 4 people, it takes 50 minutes and stays easy to cook, at €1.40 per serving. The trick is letting the garlic turn golden without browning and mashing a few beans at the end to thicken the sauce naturally.

Tonight we're heading to the Philippines, with a ginisang monggo full of garlic flavor and its side of white rice.

Ginisang monggo with rice
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.40
Calories per person
470 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Fall

Ginisang monggo is everyday food in the Philippines, the kind of dish that shows up on the table without any special occasion. The mung beans soften slowly until almost creamy, carried by golden garlic and tomatoes that bring a little tang. Soy sauce adds just enough depth without covering up the vegetables.

This is the dinner you reach for on a weeknight when you want something warm and filling without much fuss. White rice soaks up the sauce and rounds out the meal with no extra effort. The spinach, stirred in at the very end, keeps its color and freshness, a nice contrast to the slow simmered beans.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Dried mung beans 250 g
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 5 cloves
  • Tomatoes 3
  • Baby spinach 200 g

Allergens Soy

The step by step recipe

  1. Rinse the mung beans, cover them with three times their volume of water, and simmer gently until they mash easily under a finger. 35 min

    No need to soak mung beans, but if you can't find any, green lentils work very well as a substitute.

  2. Meanwhile, cook the rice in a large pot of salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    Keep a little of the cooking water warm, it helps loosen the rice if it dries out.

  3. Brown the very generously chopped garlic in the oil, add the sliced onion then the diced tomatoes, and let them soften. 8 min

    The garlic should turn golden, not brown, otherwise it adds a bitterness that takes over the whole dish.

  4. Pour the beans with a little of their cooking water into the pan, add the soy sauce, salt, and pepper, and let it simmer. 8 min

    Add the water little by little, the dish should stay somewhere between a thick soup and a stew.

  5. Slide the spinach into the pot and stir just until it wilts, then serve over the rice. 2 min

    Turn off the heat as soon as the leaves wilt, that way they keep their bright green color.

Our tips to get it right

  • Sort through the mung beans before rinsing them, a small stone sometimes ends up in the bag.
  • Taste the sauce before serving, since soy sauce is salty, adjust the salt at the end rather than salting too early.
  • If the sauce is still too thin at the end, let it simmer uncovered a few more minutes rather than adding flour or cornstarch.

The variations

  • Swap the spinach for napa cabbage or Swiss chard, both hold up well during cooking.
  • For a spicier version, add a little minced fresh chili along with the garlic.
  • To save time, use canned or jarred cooked mung beans and cut the simmering time to 15 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A fried or hard boiled egg on top
  • Fried or grilled fish on the side
  • Hot green tea or lemon water

Storage

Ginisang monggo keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It freezes well, though it's best to add fresh spinach after thawing rather than freezing it in. Reheat gently over low heat, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace mung beans with another legume?

Yes, green lentils work very well and cook in a similar amount of time. Mung beans stay softer, but lentils give an equally tasty result.

Do mung beans need to be soaked before cooking?

No, unlike many legumes, mung beans don't need soaking. A quick rinse is enough before you start cooking them.

Can this dish be made ahead?

Yes, you can cook the beans and the garlic tomato base ahead of time, then reheat gently. Add the spinach only right before serving so it keeps its color.

How do you thicken the sauce without flour?

Mash a few beans against the side of the pot near the end of cooking. The starch they release thickens the sauce naturally and gives it a velvety texture.

How long does it take to make a ginisang monggo with rice?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a ginisang monggo with rice?

About 470 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a ginisang monggo with rice cost?

About €1.40 per serving, or €5.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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