A lovely lady I work with was nice enough to give me this Filipino recipe using a bean I had never run across before, mung beans. Apparently they are a great source of protein and eating them with rice provides all the essential amino acids, for those of you who care about that sort of thing. Finding these elusive little beans required an adventure to Uwajimaya, the Asian market in the International District, where I also was inspired to make fresh spring rolls as a side. This was a verbally relayed recipe (I had to ask her to repeat it to me about 5 times before I remembered it, and she patiently did) and so the amounts of ingredients are very much up to your imagination and tastes. But definitely be generous with the garlic and ginger.
- About a cup of Mung Beans, soaked in a bowl of water for 8 or so hours
- 3/4 cup brown rice
- Garlic (lots), roughly chopped
- Olive oil
- one large onion
- About a pound of prawns (or pork, but who wants pork instead of prawns?)
- Generous portion fresh ginger root
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh spinach
Boil the beans for about 20 min til tender. Cook the rice (per instruction, I always wing it with rice and generally get it somewhere close to right). Set aside. In a large pan heat the olive oil til the garlic sizzles when you put it in. brown the garlic lightly then throw in the onions and cook lightly, keeping the pan nice and hot. Throw in the prawns/pork and fry quickly at high heat until cooked through. While the protein is cooking, put in a lot of fresh grated ginger, salt and pepper. Throw in the cooked mung beans and rice and add a little water or chicken broth if it looks a little dry. Right before you are ready to eat throw in the spinach and let it cook just a little bit before serving. Serve alongside fresh spring rolls with a plum sauce and sweet chile sauce.
Oh, and for anyone who knows the answer to the title of this post, please let me know. It really doesn’t make sense.
I am a fairly recent convert to fresh ginger and real garlic (as opposed to the ready chopped in a jar). I buy both of those as staples, so always have them on hand now. Those two ingredients can kick all sorts of things up a notch.
Is there a prize!? http://www.slate.com/id/2136894/
Ha, leave it to the grammar guru to set us straight about Filipinos from the Philippines!
I am a fresh garlic convert as well, thanks to Meghan and Erin’s taunting. There is no going back so if anyone wants my half used jar of crushed garlic they are welcome to it. And now I want to invest in the best garlic press in the world: http://www.pinkpeppers.com/2009/04/30/another-tool-for-your-rhinestone-studded-toolbelt/
According to Wikipedia, the language of the Philippines didn’t have an F in it until 1987, and after that year, when their new alphabet became the official one and it contained an F, they decided to call themselves Filipinos, rather than Pilipinos. I don’t know how their country or people’s names got the F sound (from F or PH) when the name they call themselves (pinoy or pinay) begins with P. And I don’t know why one word has a double P and the other doesn’t. Maybe living with volcanos has affected their ability to spel rite.
OK Pink Peppers……here is the deal. I have now canned apple pie filling per Erin……..I have made chicken stock per Caitlin (I’m 63 and up until now have always just used Swansons)…..just this weekend I’ve baked THIN chocolate chip cookies……and NOW I’m thinking about purchasing the Rosle garlic press. You are my new “Cooks Illustrated”!!!!
And Shari… don’t forget to throw in the fresh ginger on your way past that in the grocery store!
Absolutely Terri……ginger is on the list!!! And I have the Microplane to grate it!!!! Thx.!!!