Ginisang Munggo With Ampalaya is a nutritious and delicious recipe that combines the nutty and earthy flavors of mung beans with a slightly bitter taste of ampalaya (bitter melon) in one savory dish. It's a comforting and satisfying main dish that is usually paired with rice for any meal of the day.
It's cold and rainy here in the US and Ginisang Munggo is what I have been craving lately. Since ginisang munggo is actually a mung bean stew, some Filipinos call it mung bean soup just like my meatless Mung Bean Soup Recipe, which is my ultimate comfort food whenever I need a bowl for comfort.
Ginisa in Tagalog means saute or sauteed which is a very common method of cooking in the Philippines. Munggo usually cooks on Fridays in our country when certain religious sects abstain from eating meat.
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Ingredients
I wrote some help notes for you to make this dish fast and effortless. For the printable version with exact measurements and directions, check the recipe card below.
- Mung beans or munggo - These tiny beans resemble peas. You can find these beans at International Aisle in your favorite Grocery or Asian Stores.
- Onion, ginger, and garlic - For aromatics and flavor enhancers.
- Shrimp - For this recipe, I used peeled shrimp and removed the head. You can use the whole shrimp for robust flavors then just remove the head and skin when it's cooked.
- Ampalaya - Bitter melon gives a perfect contrast to the richness and creaminess of the cooked mung beans.
- Fish Sauce - To season the soup. You can also use sea salt or Himalayan salt if you don't like fish sauce.
- Leafy Greens - You can use ampalaya leaves, spinach, kale, malunggay, or any leafy green you love adding to your soup.
Instructions
1. Preparing the Mung Beans:
- Wash and rinse the mung beans thoroughly and then drain them.
- In a medium-sized pot or Dutch oven, combine the washed mung beans and 4 cups of water. You can also use bone broth instead of water to add flavors.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer until the mung beans are tender. This can take about 20-30 minutes.
Pro Tip: Soak your mung beans for a few hours up to overnight to cook them faster and easier to digest. You can also use an instant pot to cook it faster.
2. Preparing the Vegetables:
- While the mung beans are cooking, let's prepare the other ingredients. Slice the ampalaya in half, and remove the seeds with a spoon. Slice it into thin, half-moon shapes. Soak it in salt water for 10 minutes to remove some bitterness. Drain the water.
- Minced the garlic, sliced the onion in a half-moon shape, and julienned the ginger. Don't forget to dice the tomatoes too.
3. Cook the Aromatics:
- In a separate pan or skillet over medium heat, saute the garlic, onions, and ginger until translucent.
- Add the tomatoes and cook them until soft and wilted.
- Once the munggo is finally cooked, add the cooked aromatics and tomatoes to the pot of munggo soup.
- Bring it to a boil.
- Add the sliced ampalaya and shrimp to the pot. Cook for about 2-4 minutes.
- Add your leafy greens. Turn off the heat. Cover the pot to cook them with the residual heat.
Serve in a bowl with rice on the side.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Storage: Let the bean soup cool and transfer it to a glass container with a lid. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer: If you plan to freeze cooked mung bean soup, be sure to leave a 1-inch space on the top of the container or jar to allow for expansion as the soup freezes. Failure to leave enough space can result in the jar cracking. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheating: Transfer your dish to a small saucepan over medium heat. Add some water or broth if the soup is dry, taste, and season with a pinch of salt if needed. Reheat until warm thoroughly.
What Goes Well With This?
- Cooked Rice: This is the most common and classic accompaniment for Ginisang Munggo with Ampalaya. The rice serves as a perfect base to soak up the flavors of the dish.
- Fried Bangus: Bangus is the national fish of the Philippines and is often served fried and crispy. It's a delicious and crispy addition to this meal.
- Sauteed Vegetables: Include a side of sauteed or steamed vegetables such as kangkong, eggplant, or okra. These vegetables add variety to your meal and balance the flavors. Try my Ginisang Gulay and Ginisang Sayote.
- Fried Tuyo: This dried fish is a popular fried fish that goes really well with Munggo dishes.
- Salted Duck Eggs: It's common to serve salted duck eggs (itlog na maalat) as a side dish. the saltiness pairs well with the earthy flavors of Ginisang Monngo. Try my Salted Egg Salad with Tomato Salad and Salted Egg Pasta.
Helpful Tips
- Beans could be hard to digest for some people with lectin sensitivity as a major cause. To remove lectins, soaking it with water for a few hours, a slow cooker or pressure cooker may help.
- You can also puree the mung beans in a blender once it is cooked for extra creaminess and easier to digest.
Why I Think You Will Love This
- This recipe is delicious and nutritious. Check this study about Bitter Melon: a panacea for inflammation and cancer to learn more about it.
- Ginisang munggo is a budget-friendly and economical dish to serve everyone. Mung beans and ampalaya are affordable ingredients. Beans serve as a plant-based protein that is more affordable than meat.
- It is a straightforward dish and you don't need any specialized cooking skills or equipment.
- It is a warm and filling option that can be enjoyed with rice, providing a sense of a comforting and satisfying meal.
- If you like this recipe, check out my Ginisang Gulay, Ginataang Gulay, Ginisang Sayote, Bitter Melon Stir-fry, and Pinakbet Ilokano.
About Mung Bean (Munggo/Monggo)
Mung bean, scientifically known as Vigna radiata, is a type of small, green legume native to India. They are commonly used in various culinary dishes and have been a staple in many Asian cuisines such as the Philippines where it's called munggo or monggo.
Mung beans can be used in a variety of culinary applications. Some common uses include:
- Sprouts: Mung bean sprouts are popular in salads, sandwiches, and Asian stir-fry dishes. Check out my bean sprout recipes: Ginisang Togue and Soy Bean Sprout Korean Side Dish.
- Dried Beans: When dried, mung beans are often used to make soups, stews, and curries in Asian cuisine. They cook relatively quickly compared to some other types of dried legumes.
- Desserts: Mung beans are also used in sweet dishes, such as mung bean paste, which is a common filling for pastries, cakes, and desserts in Asian cultures.
- Noodles: Did you know that some noodles are made from mung bean starch? Glass-like noodles or cellophane noodles are transparent noodles made with these kinds of beans.
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Ginisang Munggo With Ampalaya
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup mung beans
- 4 cups water or bone broth
- 1 medium onion sliced moon-shape
- 1 inch ginger julienned
- 2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- 1 large bitter melon sliced moon-shape
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
Instructions
- Wash and rinse the mung beans thoroughly and then drain them.
- In a medium-sized pot or Dutch oven, combine the washed mung beans and 4 cups of water. You can also use bone broth instead of water to add flavors.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer until the mung beans are tender. This can take about 20-30 minutes.
- While the mung beans are cooking, let's prepare the other ingredients. Slice the ampalaya in half, and remove the seeds with a spoon. Slice it into thin, half-moon shapes. Soak it in salt water for 10 minutes to remove some bitterness. Drain the water.
- Minced the garlic, sliced the onion in a half-moon shape, and julienned the ginger. Don't forget to dice the tomatoes too.
- In a separate pan or skillet over medium heat, saute the garlic, onions, and ginger until translucent.
- Add the tomatoes and cook them until soft and wilted.
- Once the munggo is finally cooked, add the cooked aromatics and tomatoes to the pot of munggo soup. Bring it to a boil.
- Add the sliced ampalaya and shrimp to the pot. Cook for about 2-4 minutes.
- Add your leafy greens. Turn off the heat. Cover the pot to cook them with the residual heat. Serve in a bowl with rice on the side.
Notes
Recipe Notes:
- Soak your mung beans for a few hours up to overnight to cook them faster and easier to digest. You can also use an instant pot to cook it faster.
- Let the bean soup cool and transfer them to a glass container with a lid. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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