Mung Bean Stew or Monggo Guisado as it’s called in the Philippines, is a nutritious and delicious stew that is jam packed with vegetable proteins. There are more than 7,000 islands in the Philippine archipelago, and there are as many ways to prepare the humble mung beans, both sweet and savoury. And the most popular one is guisado, which simply means sauteed, but is in fact a stew and is mostly served with rice and fish.

Mung beans are delicious in soups, salad and dips. You’re probably familiar with the sprouts that make an appearance in salads and Asian stir fries. The small and humble mung bean , taste nutty and slightly sweet is a native of India and is now available everywhere.

This mung bean stew has lots of wonderful flavours and textures. Even my carnivorous son loves it. Traditionally in the Philippines, potato or carrot is not added to the dish, but one day I accidentally added too much salt to my pot of mung beans, and so I added cubed potato and carrots to make it less salty, and I’ve done so ever since. I also add chilli from time to time, but its up to you.

To soak or not to soak..

Soaking legumes and seeds before cooking , neutralises enzyme inhibitors, which creates havoc in our digestive tract that results in bloating. This is because beans contain a large amount of carbohydrates that humans find hard to digest. Although the mung bean itself, has lesser quantities of these enzyme inhibitors, soaking also makes it quicker to cook. So definitely, yes to soaking. I soak the mung beans for a few hours or overnight, but no longer than that or you will end up with bean sprouts! If that happens, don’t despair, go to plan B and use the sprouts on stir fries or salads.

What you need for mung bean stew..

Mung beans – Allow 1/2 cup per person. The beans double in volume when cooked. Mung beans are now widely available from fruit shops and health food stores, even the major supermarkets. And they last forever.
Pantry / Fridge Staples – Garlic, Onion,Tomato, Carrot, Potato, Chicken Stock Powder or Vegeta if Vegetarian, some leafy vegetables like baby spinach, kale or baby bok choy.
Protein – Diced Bacon, Prawns (Optional)

How to make it..

Soak mung beans in water for at least 3 hours or better still overnight.
Drain water and place mung beans in a sauce pan. Add diced potato and diced carrots. Cover with water plus 1 cup of water and cook on high until boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until the mung beans are tender. You may need to add more water, depending on how long the beans were soaked. Set aside.
In small frypan, sautee the garlic, onion, ginger and diced tomatoes until onions are soft and fragrant. Add bacon/prawns if using and cook for a few minutes or until the bacon is cooked. Add this to the cooked mung beans in the saucepan. Stir to combine and add salt and pepper to correct the seasoning.
Use a stick blender on one side of the pan only , to puree half of the stew. Return to the stove to heat thru.
Stir in the shredded greens (spinach/kale/bok choy), and serve. The residual heat should be enough to wilt the greens.

What to serve it with…

Rice is best and that’s how we eat the mung bean stew in the Philippines, and how I prefer it. Serve it with a cheek of lemon or calamansi.
With flat bread like Lebanese or Turkish bread is how my Persian hubby likes it. He uses the bread like a spoon to scoop the thick stew.
Mung bean stew also goes really well as a side to Fried Fish.