Ginisang Mongo

Rosalina Ocampo Tañedo

So I tried making this the other night and I should have known better than to cook it without consulting the expert when it comes to the kitchen: My Mother.

Not that it was a complete disaster. Okay, who am I kidding? It was a total disaster that I ended up throwing half of it down my garbage disposal which resulted in the said garbage disposal bursting and spewing this soapy, green, muddy, paste-like substance all over my kitchen floor. It was like a scene from a bad B rated science fiction movie. Actually, it was worse than that. But since this is a food blog, I'll spare you of the details to prevent you from turning your stomach inside out. And even though I discarded half of it, the other half was still more than enough to feed an entire battalion. I guess I'll be eating this dish for a whole month. I didn't realize, that each Mung beans will expand at least four times its size when cooked...and we are talking about three kilos (six and a half plus pounds) of Mung beans here. I know, I know...for someone who tried to major in science, I should know this right? You know, the whole Physics and Chemistry behind it? Never mind, look it up. Well, I do, but it was an error in judgement...so don't judge me all right.

But I won't let a cooking mishap reminiscent of last year's Japan's tsunami deter me from cooking this hearty dish again. Besides, this is one of my favorite Pilipino dish of all time. And this time, I am fully prepared with the help of my mother of course. So enjoy and happy cooking.

Ingredients

• 1/2 kilograms (approximately 1.1 pounds)of Mung bean
• 1 medium onion, chooped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 4 tablespoons of oil (canola or olive)
• 1/4 cup of Patis (fish sauce)
• 1/4 kilograms (approximately 1/2 pounds)of pork, cut into tiny squares *
• 1 bundle of spinach leaves with the stalks**
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper to taste
• 3 cups of water ***

Directions

• Soak Mung beans in water overnight and boil them until beans are soft.
• Mash the beans with a stainer and set aside
• in a deep pot, heat oil and fry the pork squares until brown or almost crunchy
• Sautee garlic and onion, until garlic is golden brown. Add the diced tomato.
• Add the 1/4 cup of Patis. Keeep stirring, until the chopped onion is almost cellophane and the tomato's skin is peeling off
• Add the mashed Mung beans. Add 3 cups of water and stir all the mixture together.
• Add ground black pepper to taste.
• Keep mixing it to prevent the mashed beans from sticking at the bottom of the pot.
• Lower heat and add the spinach leaves with stalks.
• Cover and let it simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Gunisang Mongo can be eaten by itself. Or can be served with steamed rice and fried fish. My mother usually prepares it with fried Galungong fish (Mackarel scad), or fried or broiled Tuyo fish (dried salted Pacific Herring fish) or fried Daing Milk fish (dried salted Milk fish).

* Shrimps can be use as well (dried or fresh). I've seen people use bacon and the bacon fat is used to replace the oil to saute the rest of the ingredients. Chicharon (pork rind) is also used as an alternative as well as Dilis (dried Anchovy fish).

** I used spinach the first time I cooked this dish. But when I was a little boy, my mother used Malungay leaves. Chili leaves is also use.

*** Some people like their saute Ginisang Mungo to be more soupy or thicker in consistency. I personally like it thicker. Remember the beans will expand at least four times their size. And even after they have been mashed, they will still absorb water.

Mongo is the Tagalog name for Mung beans. The Pampangueños of Tarlac where I am from, and of course, the

Pampangueños in the province of Pampanga, we call it Balatung.

Balatung or Mongo, is a legume which is native to the Indian subcontinent. However, many Asian countries such as Burma, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Thailand, and of course the Philippines, Mung beans have become a staple in their culinary art.

Mung beans can be cooked in many different ways, and like most legumes, the initial preparation is submerging them in water over night and boiling them after. In the Philippines, Mung beans are also prepared as desserts such as Lelut Balatung (Sweet Mung beans porridge) which is cooked with coconut milk, sugar, and sticky rice. It is also the main ingredient in Hopia, a pastry stuffed with sweetened Mung beans. I remember when I was little boy, when my would cook mung beans, she always gave me a bowl before sauteing it and and I mixed it with sugar and milk. The mung bean spouts are also used in other dishes such as Fresh Lumpia (Pilipino egg roll)

Mung beans are also nutritious. They are high in fiber, low saturated fat, and contains no artery-clogging cholesterol. see more...

Capilla Romano Catolico in Concepcion, Tarlac

My Mother's birthplace

Benigno Aquino Jr.

Famous Resident of Concepcion, Tarlac

National Hero

Benigno Aquino Jr.'s house. Now a museum