Ginisang Munggo (Mung Beans Stew)

Ginisang munggo or mung beans stew is just easy to prepare. That's one reason I often cook this aside from the fact that this taste so good to me. We used to have this in our dining table in the Philippines. My American husband love it too and he often request me to cook it. I gathered some ampalaya (bitter gourd)leaves and fruits in my garden and I mixed it with my mung beans. I used the split mung beans because it just take a short time to cook. Instead of patis (fish sauce), I used salt because I run out of it. The result was still good. Here's my own recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups split mung beans
4 cups of water
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium-sized onions, sliced
salt to taste
1 cup ampalaya leaves (bitter gourd leaves)
1 ampalaya fruit
1/3 lb ground beef

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put 2 cups of dried munggo in a pot and add water.
2. Bring to a gentle boil and add water if necessary as it boils and the liquid gets absorbed into the beans.
3. Continue cooking for until the beans soften and there is just a little liquid left in the pot (depends how soupy you like it).
4. Then in another pan, heat up oil, sauté garlic and onions .
5. Add the ground beef and cook until it turns brown.
6. Mix this in the pot with mung beans and then add some salt and simmer for 3 minutes.
7. Add the ampalaya fruit and then after a couple of minutes add the ampalaya leaves and cook for 3 minutes.
8. Add some ground ginger.
9. Turn off the heat and serve with rice.