My dish is literally a rice-and-beans dish. It goes by many different names: Ginataang monggo, tinutong, or lelot balatong. It is a well-known Filipino dish that is eaten for “merienda” (merienda is in between lunch and dinner). In my family we tend to cook a lot of meals with coconut.
Ginataang monggo is very simple and fast to prepare. The list of ingredients is short and inexpensive. The mung beans, coconut milk, and sticky rice can be found at any Asian grocery store.
I made this dish with my sisters. We ate it before dinner. It doesn’t fill you up at all; it just gets you ready for the main course. We don’t usually have merienda so it was something new and different to try. It was a lot of fun making.
Mung beans originally come from India. Physically they are green on the outside and yellow inside. Mung beans include Vitamins A, B, C, and E and they also are a source for minerals like calcium, iron, and potassium. It is also and excellent source of protein and fiber. I find this amazing, seeing as it is something so tiny.
Ingredients (4 servings):
- 1/4 cup mung beans (monggo)
- one 14 oz can of coconut milk (gata), about 1 3/4 cups
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sticky rice (malagkit na kanin), thoroughly washed and drained
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Directions:
1. In a dry skillet over high heat, toast the mung beans until dark brown. Stir or toss continuously to evenly brown the beans.
2. Using a rolling pin, gently crush the mung beans with just enough pressure to split in half and dehull. Separate and discard the hulls if desired (or keep the hulls intact for added texture and nutritional value).
3. Reserve and refrigerate about 1/4 cup of the coconut milk.
4. Pour the remaining coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cups) and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Add the toasted mung beans and washed rice and bring to a boil. Simmer while uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until the rice and beans are thoroughly cooked but still firm. The porridge should have the consistency of loose risotto.
5. Stir in the sugar and salt to incorporation.
6. Serve ginataang monggo hot or cold and top with the reserved coconut milk.
7. DIG IN! AND ENJOY
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Kassandra, it seems like you are living my dream: to eat dessert before dinner! This is, in fact, a healthy midday snack, as it contains protein, good carbs and just enough sugar to help see you to suppertime. I am also beginning to use more and more coconut milk in my cooking.
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