What else is more comforting and familiar than a steaming bowl of ginisang monggo? Rain or shine, Friday or any day of the week, a meal with monggo knows no season. With the traditional trio of tomatoes, onions, and garlic, this dish never fails to make for a satisfying meal. But why stop there? The hearty Filipino staple can get an upgrade in so many ways!
Monggo with tinapa flakes
Tinapa flakes are often added to pasta or fried rice, but they also go well with ginisang monggo. Buy them ready-made or debone and shred your own—either way, sautéd with the monggo, they add a delicious twist to the classic family dish.
Monggo with pork cubes
Stick to your meat-free oath with the authentic taste of pork minus the guilt! Knorr cubes have become a standard ingredient in any Filipino kitchen, serving as an essential element in any ulam. Bringing a symphony of flavors to ginisang monggo, Knorr pork cubes add a delicious, meaty boost to the dish!
Monggo with corn and bisugo
Before meat-free Mondays, there was no-meat Fridays—a practice that Catholics of long ago observed as a form of penitence. And so this is how ginisang monggo entered the scene: Chock-full of protein, the dish served as a substantial substitute for meat. While these days a typical monggo dish contains pork, you can still have your meat-free day with monggo prepared with suam and bisugo. Not only do these two additional ingredients provide filling, they add nutritional value to it, too!
Monggo with chicharon
While popularly used as a topping for La Paz batchoy and pancit palabok, the crackly chicharon lends a salty twist to the monggo dish and packs a lot of crunch, too. Crumble some chicharon to bits, sprinkle all over the monggo, and you get a tasty dish that even the pickiest eater in your home would love. While plain chicharon works, the ones that come with a bit of fat give a decadent flourish to the dish—definitely a treat your family deserves!
Monggo with ampalaya leaves
Another no-meat suggestion is adding a bunch of ampalaya leaves to your ginisang monggo. Known to keep coughs and fevers at bay as well as for a host of other health benefits, the heart-shaped leaves of the bitter melon would nicely round out the basic, fuss-free monggo recipe, making it perfect for rainy days.
