Tender mung beans simmered with tomatoes, leafy malunggay and smoky flaked fish
Ginisang monggo is a deeply familiar Filipino mung-bean stew, especially associated with Friday meals in many households. The beans become naturally creamy as they simmer, while a proper ginisa of garlic, onion and ripe tomato builds the savoury base. Malunggay adds a fresh green note and tinapa brings smoke and salt without hiding the gentle flavour of the monggo.
- Prep
- 25 mins
- Cook
- 1 hour 20 mins
- Total
- 9 hours 45 mins
- Serves
- 8
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Cuisine
- Filipino
The recipe
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Before you start
Soak the mung beans in cold water for 8 hours, then drain and rinse. Check the tinapa carefully for fine bones and break the flesh into large flakes. Strip the malunggay leaves from tough stems, wash well, and drain.
Ingredients
For the mung beans
For the ginisa
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Large heavy pot paid link
- Wide saucepan or Dutch oven paid link
- Colander paid link
- Wooden spoon paid link
- Chef’s knife paid link
- Cutting board paid link
- Digital kitchen scale paid link
- Ladle paid link
Method
Put the soaked mung beans, 2 litres fresh water and bay leaf in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil and skim any foam.
Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook partly covered for 35–45 minutes until the beans are very tender. Keep the beans in their liquid and remove the bay leaf.
Heat oil in a separate wide pot over medium heat. Cook garlic until pale gold, then add onion and cook for 4 minutes.
Add tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes, crushing the tomatoes until they form a soft, concentrated base.
Stir in fish sauce and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the cooked mung beans with their liquid. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and crushing a small portion of the beans against the pot to thicken the stew.
Fold in two-thirds of the flaked tinapa and simmer for 3 minutes. Add hot water or stock if the stew is too thick.
Add malunggay leaves and black pepper. Cook for 2–3 minutes, just until the leaves wilt.
Taste before adding salt because both fish sauce and tinapa are salty. Serve with the remaining tinapa scattered on top.
Chef’s notes
Soaking shortens the cooking time and helps the beans soften evenly, but the beans still need a gentle simmer rather than a violent boil.
Cook the tomatoes until their raw aroma disappears. This concentrated ginisa prevents the finished stew from tasting watery.
Add malunggay at the end to preserve its colour and fresh flavour.
Tips and variations
No malunggay is available? Use spinach, chilli leaves or tender moringa leaves sold frozen, adding only enough time to wilt them.
For a thicker stew, mash one ladle of cooked beans and return it to the pot.
Keep some tinapa for the finish so its smoky character remains clear after simmering.
Serve with
Ladle into deep bowls and finish with tinapa flakes. Serve as a main dish with rice or in smaller portions beside fried or grilled fish.
Storage
Cool quickly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze without the malunggay garnish for up to 2 months. Reheat to 74°C, adding water because mung beans thicken considerably when chilled.
Nutrition per serving (estimated)
- 340 kcal
- Calories
- 24 g
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 780 mg
- Sodium
Allergens
Contains fish. Check packaged smoked fish and fish sauce for added allergens. Mung beans are legumes; anyone with a specific legume allergy should avoid the dish.
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Questions
Do mung beans have to be soaked?
They can cook without soaking, but soaking gives more even results and shortens the simmering time.
Why is my monggo still hard?
Old beans, acidic ingredients added too early, or insufficient cooking time can delay softening. Cook the beans fully before adding the tomato base.
Can canned mung beans be used?
Yes, but dried beans cooked from scratch provide better body and a naturally creamy broth.
When should malunggay be added?
Add it during the final 2–3 minutes so the leaves remain green and do not become stringy.
