Ginisang Munggo at Sotanghon is extra delicious with cellophane noodles and minced shrimp. It's hearty, budget-friendly, and tasty, served with steamed rice.
If you're looking for an easy and budget-friendly meal that packs flavor and nutrients, mung beans are your answer. This nutritional powerhouse is not only an economical source of protein, but it's also versatile and delicious in various preparations.
My favorite way to cook these legumes is this hearty stew recipe. It's our classic ginisang munggo but made more filling with sotanghon noodles, which, coincidentally, are made of mung bean starch.
Ingredient notes
- Ampalaya- it's common to include bittermelon for extra nutrition. Seed and slice thinly and add to the stew during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Spinach- you can also use malunggay or chili leaves
- Shrimp- you can substitute other meat and protein such as chicharon, diced pork belly, or flaked tinapa.
Cooking tips
- There's no need to presoak the mung beans! They're small and quick to cook; they'll be tender and ready to saute in about half an hour.
- Make sure to check the package date. Older beans take longer to cook and soften.
How to serve
- Munggo, in themselves, are cheap peasant fare. Chopping the shrimp into bite-sized pieces and adding sotanghon are ingenious ways to extend servings further.
- Serve this mung bean stew with steamed rice and your favorite grilled meat or fried fish for the ultimate comfort food!
Storage and reheating instructions
- Allow to cool completely and transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- The legumes and the noodles tend to absorb a lot of liquid. Reheat in a saucepan to an internal temperature of 165 F, adding more water or broth to loosen the consistency.
More ginisa recipes
Ingredients
- 2 ounces sotanghon
- 1 cup dried munggo (mung beans), washed and drained
- 2 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ยฝ pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into ยฝ-inch pieces
- 1 bunch fresh spinach, stems trimmed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, soak sotanghon in warm water for about 1 to 2 minutes or until just softened. Drain well and set aside.
- In a pot over medium heat, combine beans and water. Bring to a boil, skimming off the froth that accumulates and beans that float on top. Lower heat, cover and cook for about 1 hour or until beans are softened, and skins have burst.
- In another pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and onions and cook until tender and aromatic.
- Add tomatoes and cook, mashing with the back of a spoon, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until softened and release juice.
- Add shrimp and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes or until color changes to pink.
- Add fish sauce and continue to cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add cooked mung bean including liquid. Bring to a boil.
- Add sotanghon and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until noodles are translucent. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Add spinach, turn off heat and cover pot for about 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach are just wilted. Serve hot.
Notes
- There's no need to presoak the mung beans! They're small and quick to cook; they'll be tender and ready to saute in about half an hour.
- Make sure to check the package date. Older beans take longer to cook and soften.
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Vicky says
Hi!
I havenโt tried cooking this dish.
Can you recommend what kind of sotanghon to get? Thanks
Lalaine Manalo says
The mungbean thread, they come in coils ๐
liz says
Wow what a powerful story Lalaine. I'm glad you found another man who deserves you. Thanks for sharing. I will try this recipe too.
Lalaine says
Thank you, Liz. ๐
Krista Matias says
Ginisang Munggo at Sotanghon is two of my favorite Filipino dishes. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I can now combine my two favorite dishes and be able to savor again the taste of home. My homesick will now be gone because of this wonderful recipe.
Lalaine says
Enjoy!
Cherry says
Hi Lalaine,
โIt has been said, ย time heals all wounds. I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.โย
Love that and I agree with you. I can relate, not exactly the same as what happened to my family 2 years ago but it hurts all the same. Long story short, my husband and I found out that he has a son from an ex girlfriend. 2 good things, I was not in the picture when it happened so I canโt blame him (Hurt from mostly of my pride of a lot of things) and the son had turned 18. It took me a year but yes forgave my husband. Thanks for sharing your story.
I love and try to cook but my husband is the cook in our family. So, yes, I will ask him to cook this for dinner. ๐
Lalaine says
Thank you for sharing your story as well. I am glad you found it in your heart to accept and move forward. Wishing you happiness!
Lydia says
I admire your faith and trust, your magnanimous gesture. You are right in forgiving, we gift ourselves freedom from bondage of hurts and pains. Hats off to you for the intelligent decision and I know the effort to make the act.
Also, I love this recipe you just. Will try it very soon. Sure looks very yummy!
Lalaine says
Yes! Forgiving definitely is freedom. It's only in letting go we find peace.
Noor-Jehan says
Dear Lalaine,
Firstly, I wanted to say how incredibly strong you are, generous, forgiving and kind in spirit in dealing with your difficult relationship with your ex.
Secondly, discovering your blogsite and recipes has renewed my love, hunger and longing for Filipino food. Thank you. Bless you for sharing your recipes and bits of your life.
Lalaine says
Thank you so much!
Gemma says
*2103
Thank you for sharing all your scrumptious recipes!
More power to you ๐
Lalaine says
Thank you!
S tandug says
I love your back stories. My favorite is from your 'tinola' recipe. The monggo looks yummy. Thanks for your relatable stories and easy to follow recipes
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you!
Jing says
Hi Lalaine,
What strong woman you are! ๐ I also love to cook that's why I really enjoyed your site. When I cook Munggo, I use tinapa flakes instead of shrimp. ๐
Lalaine says
Thank you. I guess you don't really know how strong you are until you need to be strong ๐
Hmm, tinapa! Sounds delicious, can't wait to try it next time I cook munggo. Thanks for the tip.
Steffe says
Your instructions are clear and easy.I never thought I could cook like you!!!
Lalaine says
Thank you, Steffe. I am glad you find the recipes helpful. ๐
Janice says
I will definitely try this recipe. I think my family would love this.
By reading your story, we have have similarities, he admit he has a child with another woman but we are still together, I forgave him but until now I don't know if I made the right decision to stay with him. Maybe I don't have the courage and strong enough to end our marriage. You are a strong women. I am happy for you.
Lalaine says
I am so sorry to hear that. Saving a marriage after an infidelity takes a lot of forgiving and most importantly, forgetting. You can't do one without the other. I wish I can tell you what to do but only you can make that decision. What was right for me might not be for you. I pray you'll find your peace and happiness.
Harold says
I had a friend who made Munggo with shrimp and bitter melon and bitter melon leaves do you have a recipe for that one Thanks
Lalaine says
Hello Harold
This the closest one I have http://www.kawalingpinoy.com/2014/06/ginisang-munggo-sotanghon/. Replace the noodles with sliced ampalaya and the spinach with ampalaya leaves.
Harold says
Ok Thanks
fluerge says
hi! I tried this for dinner tonight..monngo soup is one of my faces and I have a ready go-to recipe but I was curious about this one as it has sotanghon. The addition was great..but since I like mine more soup-y, I added more water..around 2 cups..I think the sotanghon tends to absorb all the water. Add I added ginger and chili peppers as my hubby likes it spicy. The back story for this recipe is pretty heartbreaking...and ultimately encouraging..:)
Lalaine says
Hello Fluerge
I usually eat this soup hot off the pot as the noodles to soak up a lot of the liquid. I will try adding chili peppers next time as I love spicy foods, too.
Yes, the backstory was a dark age in my life...but all's well that end's well ๐
Jen says
Hi :).
I landed on your site after searching for leche flan, a dish I haven't had in many years. I'm planning on making it for my birthday, thank you for sharing!
Interested by the personal story on this recipe, I couldn't leave without writing a reply. And that is that I find you really admirable, for not allowing someone who has done (in my eyes) unacceptable things to hurt you any more. It's easy to hate or detest someone but even though you may not experience it that way, I think forgiving him demands a great deal of courage. And I think that should be told!
Lalaine says
Hello Jen
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, it takes a lot to forgive a person who has done us wrong. In my case, he can't hurt me anymore because he no longer means anything. He no longer has value in my life. The only people who have a capacity to hurt us are the ones who matter.
Happy birthday, I hope you enjoy your very special flan ๐
Kate says
Hi - the ingredients don't list the sotanghon! But the recipe does! Just thought I'd mention it.
Lalaine says
Corrected ๐ Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention.
Sherwin says
What a strong woman you are. . . Sad but had a homour especially at the last part of the story. . ๐
i like ginisang munggo and i try it also.
Lalaine says
๐