Ginataang Munggo
Ingredients
- 1 cup green mung beans
- 1 cup glutinous rice
- 2 cans coconut milk
- 1 can coconut cream
- 2 cups water or more
- ¾ cup sugar adjust to taste
Instructions
- Wash and rinse the glutinous rice. Set it aside for later use.
- In a skillet over medium heat, toast the mung beans until they turn brown and release a nutty roasted aroma.
- Crack the Mung Beans:
- Transfer the roasted mung beans to a tray or flat surface. Roll a rolling pin through the beans to crack them open. Alternatively, use a food processor to pulse them a few times without pulverizing. Remove some pulverized skins by running the cracked mung beans through a coarse sieve.
- In a pot over medium heat, bring coconut milk and 1 cup of water to a simmer. Add the glutinous rice and cracked mung beans. Cover the pot and lower the heat to low once it starts simmering again.
- Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice and mung beans have expanded and softened. Add more water if needed, ensuring most liquids are almost absorbed when cooked.
- Add the sugar and half of the coconut cream to the pot. Stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy:
- Turn off the heat and transfer the porridge to individual bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of coconut cream.
Details About My Ginataang Munggo Recipe
Ginataang Munggo Recipe – Do you like rice pudding? If you do, have you ever tried it with mung beans? Mung beans have a rather nutty taste when roasted and tastes great with rice pudding. Together they form ginataang munggo. Ginataang Munggo, also called by different names like Lelut balatung and Ginataang totong, is a delicious Filipino dessert enjoyed in various regions. Featuring a combination of roasted mung beans and glutinous rice cooked in a rich mixture of coconut milk and cream, it makes for a delightful treat.
Ginataang Munggo has diverse versions throughout the Philippines, with some variations featuring different ingredients, showcasing the country’s diverse culinary traditions. More than this, it is one of many desserts cooked in coconut milk.
Additional Details for my Ginataang Munggo Recipe
Like any other recipe, there are tips and tricks to making a tasty bowl of ginataang munggo. First, you need to know the right way to handle the beans. After roasting the mung beans, delicately crack them open using a rolling pin, mortar pestle, or a similar heavy object to avoid crushing them. Then there is dealing with the mixture. While simmering, stir the mixture occasionally with a wooden spatula to prevent burning and sticking. If the mixture thickens too much, add water gradually to maintain a dense yet creamy consistency. Wait until the glutinous rice and mung beans have expanded and softened before adding sugar to ensure even cooking.
For serving Ginataang Munggo, it is a customary midday snack or after-meal treat. Simply ladle the munggo or tutong mixture into individual bowls and enhance its flavor by topping it with coconut cream or kakang gata, providing a creamier and more indulgent taste. This simple yet delightful presentation adds an extra layer of richness to the dish
To store leftover Ginataang Munggo, let it cool before putting it in a container with a tight lid. It stays fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. Note that the sticky rice and milk might thicken it when chilled. Some like it very cold, almost like ice cream. If you want it warm, just add a bit of water or coconut milk when reheating to loosen the consistency. This way, you can enjoy the dish at your preferred temperature and texture.
Other Dishes Like Ginataang Munggo
If you want to try a dish similar to ginataang munggo, you should try ginataang mais. Ginataang mais is a sweet rice pudding dessert with corn, made from glutinous rice, coconut milk, and corn kernels. It goes by different names like lugaw na mais or lelot mais in various regions. This coconut rice pudding is a popular midday or after-dinner treat, and you can enjoy it warm or cold with a drizzle of coconut cream (kakang gata). You can use fresh, frozen, or canned corn when preparing it.
Another option to try is ginataang bilo-bilo. Ginataang Bilo bilo is a sweet stew dessert made with small glutinous rice balls in coconut milk and sugar, featuring ingredients like jackfruit, saba bananas, various tubers, and tapioca pearls. It is known by the general name “bilo bilo” and originated in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, in the northern part of Luzon, Philippines.
The recipe can vary by region, with some including young coconut meat or pandan leaves for flavor. Bilo-bilo is typically enjoyed hot but can also be served cold after refrigeration. Another name for the dish is binignit, well-known in the Visayas, while in Metro Manila, it is sometimes called ginataang halo-halo or simply bilo-bilo. The cooking process is similar for both, involving coconut milk, cream, and various tubers, saba, and/or sago.
Aside from the two dishes, another rice porridge dish you can enjoy is champorado. Champorado is a chocolate porridge made with sticky rice and Filipino cocoa called tablea. While the name might remind some of the Mexican chocolate dish champurrado, champorado is more influenced by Chinese traditions. Unlike its Spanish counterpart, modern versions use glutinous rice instead of corn masa. Depending on the region, there are various ways to enjoy this delicious dish.
Other Dishes Featuring Munggo
There are not many sweet dishes that feature mung beans but there are a few to note. One example is munggo bread. Munggo bread is a Filipino snack, also known by different names. It features mung bean paste, a common filling in Filipino pastries like hopia. Munggo bread itself is a soft and fluffy bread with a sweet and creamy mung bean filling. Aside from munggo bread, another dish that can feature mung bean paste is hopia.
Hopia is a Filipino snack consisting of a thin, flaky pastry with various fillings. Typically round and about an inch wide, hopia commonly features a filling of mung bean paste known as monggo. Nowadays, there are alternative fillings like red bean paste, providing a variety of flavors to try while keeping the same pastry base. One variation you can try is ube hopia, which features a purple yam paste filling.
On the savory side of things, you should try ginisang munggo. Ginisang munggo is a tasty Filipino soup prepared with mung beans, vegetables, garlic, onions, and fish sauce. For extra crunch, you can sprinkle chicharon on top. The name comes from the initial step of sautéing ingredients before adding water and beans to create a flavorful soup. A variation, ginisang munggo sa gata, involves adding coconut milk. It’s important not to confuse it with ginataang munggo, a dessert made with glutinous rice and mung beans.
Other Dishes Featuring Coconut Milk
If you want to try other desserts that feature coconut milk in the process, you should check out espasol. Espasol is a rice cake known for its cylindrical shape and popular during Christmas. These treats are individually wrapped in white paper for convenience. Espasol’s charm lies in its simplicity, requiring only four main ingredients: toasted glutinous rice flour, sugar, coconut milk, and optional vanilla extract. Some variations include toasted coconut strips or grated coconut for an extra special touch.
Another option is maja blanca. Maja blanca is a coconut milk-based dessert often served at fiestas and holidays, especially Christmas, but it’s a delightful treat for any occasion. The traditional version features a coconut pudding with added corn kernels for texture and flavor, though this may not be to everyone’s liking. If you prefer a version without corn, the Fruity Maja Blanca, also known as Maja Jubilee, includes fruits. Instead of fresh fruit, it incorporates a fruit cocktail for a delicious variation of the classic maja blanca.
Overall, there are plenty of sweet dishes in Filipino cuisine that features a variety of ingredients and makes for a great snack. If you prefer a more savory rice dish, there is Singangag.
