Recipe No. 1: Ginisang Monggo (Mung Bean soup)

Waking up early on a fine Saturday morning does have its perks :)

For one, I was able to do my groceries early without the rush of other shoppers and long queues, and I was also able to drop by the wet market to buy some vegetables I couldn't find in the supermarket.

I've been hankering all week for some ginisang monggo because to me, it's comfort food. Not only is it warm and hearty, it's also good for you. It's power-packed with protein from the beans and the added malunggay (moringa) leaves for a Vitamin A boost.

This is a recipe my friend taught me and this is my first attempt at making it. Here we go!

I prepared the monggo beans by boiling them in 7 cups of water. It took less than 5 minutes to get a rolling boil. After 15 minutes, I put in a beef bouillon cube to add taste to the broth and beans. I let the pot boil for another 25 minutes, checking every ten minutes or so. It helped that the casserole I used had a glass top with a tiny hole for the steam so that I could see how fast the soup was boiling.

Once the monggo was ready, I set the pot aside and proceeded with the ginisa to add flavor. Ginisa or sauteing is a common way of cooking that Filipinos use to infuse flavor into dishes. You start with a dash of oil, then put in some garlic, onions and for this dish, tomatoes. I used pre-prepared garlic in a bottle as a shortcut and used one medium tomato. The kitchen smells pretty good when you're sauteing :) After that, I put in a tiny slice of pork just to add some flavor. I'm thinking of omitting the pork in the future for a healthier dish.

When the sauteed garlic, onion, tomatoes and pork are ready, I poured this into the first pot with the monggo soup. I boiled the mixture for around five minutes under medium heat then added the malunggay leaves. I just let this simmer for 2 minutes then it's ready :)

You have the option of flavoring the soup with patis or fish sauce, but I opted to do away with it. Tastes more natural and just as flavourful :)

Here is the complete recipe:
1 cup monggo beans
7 cups water
1 beef bouillon cube
1 tbsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 matchbox size of pork, for sauteing
few strands of malunggay (moringa)