Title: Monggo
Categories: Filipino Bean Vegan
Yield: 1 Servings

1	c	Whole monggo (mung) beans
5	tb	Vegetable oil
7		Cloves garlic, lightly
		Mashed
2		Medium-sized onions,
		Chopped
3/4	lb	Red-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1/2	lb	Malunggay leaves (substitute
		Spinach or kangkong)
1	ts	Salt or to taste
1	tb	Calamansi or lime juice
1		Calamansi, or lime, cut into
		Wedges

We used to grow kamote (sweet potatoes) in the back yard and we would just get kamote leaves and put it in the monggo.)

Clean and pick over the beans. Wash in several changes of water. Drain. Put the beans and 5 cups water into a 2-quart pot and bring to boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the pot sit, covered for 1 hr. Bring the beans to a boil again. Turn heat to low and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender and slightly mushy. Stir gently during the last half hour of cooking to prevent sticking.

(I generally use a pressure cooker. I would let it whistle at least thrice, or if I don't feel like hearing it whistle, I would let it come to pressure, and then lower the heat and then let it simmer for around 8 minutes before removing it. The monggo should be nice and mushy by the time you depressurise the pressure pan and open it up.)

Saute garlic in the veg oil until light brown. Add onions, fry until translucent. Add tomatoes, stir for 5-6 minutes. Add cooked monggo beans and bring to a simmer. Simmer, with occasional stirring for 5 minutes. Add malunggay leaves, salt and 1 tbsp calamansi juice. Stir and simmer. Simmer with occasional stirring, 5 minutes or until leaves are done. Serve with calamansi wedges and rice.

(From Madhur Jaffrey's "World of the East Vegetarian Cooking" (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1981)

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