The Happy Home Cook: Munggo with Ham

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Munggo (Mung beans) (Photo by Sanjay Archarya/Creative Commons)

In February 2011, then-Vice President Jejomar Binay came to Washington DC for a visit. Then-Ambassador Willy and Linda Gaa, personal friends of ours, were his hosts. Binay asked for three things: pancit, fried fish, and mungo. Linda asked me to choose which one to bring so I chose the munggo.

This recipe is another super easy one and if you like mung beans, this is a winner. Ms. Cristeta Comerford, the White House chef, was one of the guests and she liked it. She even asked for the recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup mung beans

1/4 pound uncooked ham hocks, chopped into bite pieces or ham chips. Smithfield has good ones.

1 can stewed tomatoes (I use one with celery and pepper)

1-2 teaspoon Chili Garlic Sauce (optional)

garlic, diced

onions, diced

water

shrimps (optional)

1 bag spinach

Procedure

1. Soak the munggo in water for about 2 hours. Set aside.

2. Simmer the hocks, stewed tomatoes, garlic, chili garlic sauce, and onions in enough water to cover until the ham is cooked. Maybe about 30 minutes

3. Add the soaking mungo beans to the ham and cook until the beans 'pop' and become soft. Be careful to monitor closely because the beans will soak up a lot of water.

4. Add the spinach and shrimps and cook for about 6 minutes before serving.

5. Serve with cooked white rice OR brown rice.

Enjoy!

Munggo

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Myrna Montera Lopez

Myrna Montera Lopez is a nurse by profession but has since reinvented herself. She has been a regular columnist for Manila Mail US under her own byline, “Sa Atin Atin” since 2012.

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