The windows of our bedrooms face due east so we get the
sunrise every day. As much a
sunrise as you can get in the middle of the city. Which, actually, has its own special magic…at
least to me. Rays of light suddenly
bursting into being like so many bright yellow arms reaching around towers of concrete,
all at once being reflected and fractured and reflected again, like a beam
going through a thousand prisms, against the steel and glass of the stalwart
urban sentinels I call my neighbors.
sunrise every day. As much a
sunrise as you can get in the middle of the city. Which, actually, has its own special magic…at
least to me. Rays of light suddenly
bursting into being like so many bright yellow arms reaching around towers of concrete,
all at once being reflected and fractured and reflected again, like a beam
going through a thousand prisms, against the steel and glass of the stalwart
urban sentinels I call my neighbors.
I love the dawn. Even
if, despite all my best efforts and intentions, I am still not naturally a
morning person. I struggle to wake up,
greedily and groggily clinging to the last vestiges of my slumber. I try vainly to develop and internal body
clock. To date, much to my frustration, it hasn’t kicked
in. Perhaps that’s why I love having the
morning’s new light creep through my bedroom shades, its fingers coaxing me out
from under the covers.
if, despite all my best efforts and intentions, I am still not naturally a
morning person. I struggle to wake up,
greedily and groggily clinging to the last vestiges of my slumber. I try vainly to develop and internal body
clock. To date, much to my frustration, it hasn’t kicked
in. Perhaps that’s why I love having the
morning’s new light creep through my bedroom shades, its fingers coaxing me out
from under the covers.
Dawn, unlike any other time of the day, is filled with
such golden promise. Old melancholies
fade away and new potential beckons. It
is that short, sweet, moment that light has resolutely claimed from darkness,
but in which the whisper and allure of dreams still somehow hold subtle
sway. In the calm before the clamor of
the rest of the world crashes in, you can hear the voices that tell you to believe
in what lies in the deepest places of your heart, and in that magic hush
anything is possible.
such golden promise. Old melancholies
fade away and new potential beckons. It
is that short, sweet, moment that light has resolutely claimed from darkness,
but in which the whisper and allure of dreams still somehow hold subtle
sway. In the calm before the clamor of
the rest of the world crashes in, you can hear the voices that tell you to believe
in what lies in the deepest places of your heart, and in that magic hush
anything is possible.
This dish is not something I would typically associate
with the dawn, but it is a great comfort food.
A hot bowl of this, scooped over a generous serving of rice, can put me
in the same calm place.
with the dawn, but it is a great comfort food.
A hot bowl of this, scooped over a generous serving of rice, can put me
in the same calm place.
Munggo with Gata and Kalabasa
(mung beans with coconut milk and squash)
- 200 grams munggo (mung beans)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 red onions, peeled, one chopped and one quartered
- 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
- Canola oil (or any other mildly flavored vegetable oil)
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup hibe (small dried shrimp)
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 450 gram wedge of squash, peeled and chopped into about
1-inch cubes (350 grams, cut weight) - 1 bunch malunggay (moringa), leaves picked (yields about
2 cups leaves) - 1/2 – 1 tablespoon patis (fish sauce)
– Rinse munggo and pick through for little stones. After I check for stones I like to rinse the
beans through a sieve to get rid of any dirt.
beans through a sieve to get rid of any dirt.
– Place munggo, bay leaf, the quartered onion, and the ginger
in a saucepan or pot that will hold double its volume. Cover with cool water until about 2 inches
above the beans. Set pot on medium heat,
cover, and cook until beans are soft.
This can take anywhere from 30 minutes – 1 hour (depending on how old your beans are). Check occasionally and stir to make sure it
is not drying out and sticking. If it
seems to be drying out just add more water.
Once the beans are soft, set aside.
At this point the level of liquid should be just at the same level as
the beans.
in a saucepan or pot that will hold double its volume. Cover with cool water until about 2 inches
above the beans. Set pot on medium heat,
cover, and cook until beans are soft.
This can take anywhere from 30 minutes – 1 hour (depending on how old your beans are). Check occasionally and stir to make sure it
is not drying out and sticking. If it
seems to be drying out just add more water.
Once the beans are soft, set aside.
At this point the level of liquid should be just at the same level as
the beans.
– Heat a kawali (wok) or saucepan over medium-high
heat. Add a few swirls of canola oil
and, when hot, add the chopped onion and garlic. Sautee, stirring, until the onion is soft and
transluscent. Add the hibe and keep
sautéing until the shrimp is coated in
the oil and takes on a little moisture.
Add the cooked munggo and its liquid, the coconut milk, and the
squash. Turn the heat down to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash
is softened. Add the malunggay leaves
and cook for about 15 minutes more.
heat. Add a few swirls of canola oil
and, when hot, add the chopped onion and garlic. Sautee, stirring, until the onion is soft and
transluscent. Add the hibe and keep
sautéing until the shrimp is coated in
the oil and takes on a little moisture.
Add the cooked munggo and its liquid, the coconut milk, and the
squash. Turn the heat down to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash
is softened. Add the malunggay leaves
and cook for about 15 minutes more.
– Season to taste with the patis (fish sauce). You may need less or more depending on how
salty you hibe is. Give it a final stir
and take off the heat.
salty you hibe is. Give it a final stir
and take off the heat.
– Serve hot with lots of steamed rice.
I love munggo. I also love coconut milk. The two together work brilliantly. The coconut milk’s silky creaminess is perfect with the munggo’s earthiness. The
hibe and the fish sauce give it a rounded savory depth that salt would not be
able to replicate. If you can’t find
hibe where you are, just adjust the seasoning with a bit more fish sauce. If you can’t find malunggay you can use sweet potato leaves or, failing that, spinach. Between the munggo, malunggay, and the squash,
this is not only deliciously comforting, but highly nutritious as well. If I weren’t feeding a little one, I also would throw in a couple of green finger chilis (sili pangsigang) to the pot.
hibe and the fish sauce give it a rounded savory depth that salt would not be
able to replicate. If you can’t find
hibe where you are, just adjust the seasoning with a bit more fish sauce. If you can’t find malunggay you can use sweet potato leaves or, failing that, spinach. Between the munggo, malunggay, and the squash,
this is not only deliciously comforting, but highly nutritious as well. If I weren’t feeding a little one, I also would throw in a couple of green finger chilis (sili pangsigang) to the pot.
I’ve been working on training my body clock to rise “with
the sun”. I love those days that I am
able to. I sit at my desk, an espresso
with steamed milk at my side, its aroma waking my senses up. I raise the shades to let in the new
morning. My family is sleeping and the
streets below my window have yet to fill with their usual bustle. I hear my
dreams whisper to me and, because it is so quiet, I listen in ways I cannot
during the rest of the day. And I whisper
back.
the sun”. I love those days that I am
able to. I sit at my desk, an espresso
with steamed milk at my side, its aroma waking my senses up. I raise the shades to let in the new
morning. My family is sleeping and the
streets below my window have yet to fill with their usual bustle. I hear my
dreams whisper to me and, because it is so quiet, I listen in ways I cannot
during the rest of the day. And I whisper
back.
Healthy, comforting and delicious! An interesting combination.
Cheers,
Rosa
Отличный суп, буду повторять!
Now that I have kids, I have no choice but to become a morning person! LOL! I wouldn't mind a bowl of this greeting me in the morning…! LOL!
Thanks Rosa!
Hi Ирина Кулёва! Thanks 🙂 It is a great soup and I hope you do get to try it 🙂
Hi Jen! I know what you mean! Since I had the little one I sleep so much less than before! 🙂
I am really excited that I found your blog! I'm an American teacher/food blogger living in Cebu for the year. We just got here 2 weeks ago and I've already fallen in love with Munggos beans! 🙂 I was hoping to find a recipe for a soup like this – this is perfect! What part of the Philippines do you live in?
Perfect for the rainy days–with salted fish and rice? 🙂 Yum 🙂
That is certainly not your usual breakfast or at least my usual I'll have to try it. Thanks
Hi Joey,
You can also try substituting lentils for the mungo. It could work albeit with a slightly different flavor profile.
Sanju
Oh wow. Yummmmy! Thank you for this! Maybe this will get my hubby to love monggo as much as I do. Can't wait to try this!
The meal looks very enticing but what I really enjoyed was the text that goes with it, very poetic, I must say.
Hi Lindsay! I love munggo beans too and there are more recipes on my blog aside from the current one 🙂 They are so versatile! I'm from Manila but if you have any questions just let me know and I'll do my best 🙂 Wishing you the best for your stay here!
Hi Shalum! Truly! This is rainy day food 🙂
Hi Josephine! Well, this isn’t my usual breakfast either 😉 More like lunch or dinner 🙂
Hi Sanju! I sure that would be delicious! I love lentils 🙂
Hi Pam! Nice to see another monggo lover! I also make a version where I boil the monggo with a ham bone and sauté with chorizo and bacon (and garlic and onion), and a touch of smoked paprika…this seems to go over well with boys who are not usually fond of monggo 🙂 Maybe your hubby will like it too!
Hi Mewie! Thanks for your kind words! I am glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
I love anything with coconut milk, so I'll give this a whirl!
Hope you like it Michelle!
This looks AMAZING! Right up my street x
Morning and me are not always on good terms. I like to think I am a morning person as I do love the morning but getting out mod bed remains a less then perfect moment. Love your mung dish!
Hi Susannah! Thanks! 🙂
Hi Simone! I know exactly what you mean!
I love the colors. Oh and that bowl, I want that bowl, with the munggo of course, 🙂
Hi Dexie! Got the bowl at a department store clearance sale 🙂
love it!!!
tasty, simple & healthy breakfast recipes are the best as no one wants to spend a lot of time in the kitchen…
i made this but without gata.. i dont like gata though my daddy is bicolano… it was my 1st time to cook gnsang munggo.1st time. 1st time to use the pressure cooker and everything. well, it was a success. it tasted good. will do it again and make it better… glad i saw your blog… keep on cooking… ^^ ann
Hello! I will be trying out your recipe this week (and the others too!).
I am just wondering how many people your recipes are for? This is so I can re-portion if needed.
Thanks 🙂
Hi Candy! This will feed about 4 people, more or less 🙂 Most of my recipes are for around this amount, unless otherwise specified or obviously a 1-2 serving recipe. I actually, hardly ever make huge portions unless cooking for a crowd 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipes!
Oh good! Thanks for the quick reply. I've just started cooking for my family and my portion sizes go extremes. 🙂