Munggo Malunggay Mush (Mung Bean and Moringa Mush)

[ts]
Oooh, gotta love that alliteration, in both languages!

[js]
We used to have a malunggay tree (moringa tree) in the backyard of the second-ever house we lived in, and yet, malunggay was never a staple vegetable on our table.

If memory serves me right, I was only introduced to this dish when I asked our Yaya what she was eating one day and she let me try it. I loved munggo't malunggay and I would often request it of her on occasion.

[ts]
Wikipedia's entry on malunggay (moringa) is very informative. Moringa is an "exceptionally nutritious vegetable tree", with almost every part able to be used for food. It's even used as a "micronutrient powder" to treat diseases!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malunggay

I have only seen malunggay as leaves or greens, but apparently, its pods are also commonly eaten (both immature and mature pods), as well as its flowers.

Malunggay (Moringa)


[ts]
So there it is, malunggay. See the branch structure?

I had to pick all the leaves off of the stems and I must say, I have realized that picking leaves off stems is a kitchen task that I completely dislike. These were even tougher to pick off than other leaves. I was almost ready to give up and I was truly tempted to chuck in the stems as well!

Munggo (Mung Bean)


[ts]
Mung beans are, of course, where "bean sprouts" come from. I believe mung beans are pretty widely used, so, if you wish for more information, hop over to Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mung_bean

Munggo Guisado


[ts]
I must admit, I don't really have any memory of munggo't malunggay, so I didn't know what JS was talking about. One day, she just handed me a printout of a recipe for Munggo Guisado ("Sautéed Mung Beans") from 80 Breakfasts and told me to make it. Since the printout had no pictures, I was left to imagine how this dish was supposed to turn out.

Since it was a "guisado", I assumed that this was a sautéed mung bean dish! But, apparently, I was wrong.


boiled mung beans

[ts]
I started by boiling the mung beans in water. I checked them after a bit and they were still too firm. However, after a mere 5 minutes, I checked them again and they were too soft! Or so I thought, thinking this dish was a sauté dish.

I proceeded. A Philippine "guisado" dish usually has the following ingredients, if I'm not mistaken: garlic, onion, tomato and fish sauce.



[ts]
So, I heated some oil then added my garlic, chopped onions and tomatoes. I also added a chile pepper for some subtle warmth. The boiled mung beans went in next. The recipe actually also called for tinapa (smoked fish), but we didn't have any. So, I relied on the fish sauce to give that fishy, umami flavor. At the final moment, the malunggay leaves went in.

We ate this dish with rice (of course).



[js]
This "munggo guisado" wasn't as soupy as I remembered our Yaya used to make (I would make it soupier next time) but the sweet, hearty earthiness of the mung beans was as delicious as I remember it.

If only the malunggay weren't so hard to pick! Our version had some stems and I don't recall Yaya's version ever having little stems. I guess Yaya actually took the time to pick out all the little leaves individually!

Malunggay is not so easily available, so I think I'll substitute another vegetable with a deep, green, leafy flavour. Kale comes to mind.

[ts]
I have since learned -- looking at 80 Breakfasts' post with pictures, and from JS -- that "munggo guisado" is actually supposed to be more like a stew than a sauté dish. The name of the dish is deceptive! So I guess my mushy mung beans were all right, and I could've just added more water.

Since mine has a different consistency, I'm christening this dish a "mush". Yes, I'm making up this genre of food.

Munggo Malunggay Mush. Mung Bean & Moringa Mush. It's just too fun to say.



Recipe used:
Munggo Guisado @ 80 Breakfasts

For more Philippine/Filipino dishes:
[eatingclub] vancouver Philippine food

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