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Last updated on October 9th, 2023 at 07:19 pm

Ginataang munggo is a comforting Filipino-style rice pudding made of glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, made sweet by sugar and nutty by toasted mung beans with a floral aroma from pandan.

Gintaang munggo

This comforting and filling traditional FIlipino snack will make you think of rice pudding but dairy-free.

This is simplicity at its best.

Filling snack after a day at school.

This was a popular snack especially when days started to become cold back when I was little.

But I imagine this being served to this day.

Let’s go down memory lane for a second.

Sticky rice only appeared at our house once a year if we’re lucky.

It was more expensive than the regular rice.

We had sticky as a present from my maternal grandparents which looking back now was special.

Back in the days when almost everything was seasonal and some things were expensive that we only bought them at special occasions, sticky rice is one of those.

Mung beans were more affordable for us when I was little so we had mung bean stew for lunch or supper but not in dessert or snacks.

There were times when ladies would go around our village with a big pot of warm ginataang munggo or mung beans in coconut milk which was very nice.

Rarely that we cooked this because we made it from scratch and not everyone in the family would like it.

Speaking of this dish not being popular with everyone, depending on which part of the country one is from, the name of the dish differs according to the dialect or language in that particular place.

One of my aunts once removed called this lelut balatong.

It’s because balatong is Ilokano for mung beans.

Munggo is mung beans in Tagalog.

The lelut word I didn’t inquire about.

All I knew was it was a good treat whatever it was called.

Rice pudding

Back to the present.

This recipe is a simpler one than what I grew up watching my mom make.

It is because I cheated.

Yes! Some cheating if I may say is allowed only in cooking when time is at a premium.

I used cooked sticky rice lying in wait to be warmed for a day in the fridge because I put one more cup in the rice cooker.

That was an accident as you might know by now.

(I always make mistakes but I don’t want to throw anything away unnecessarily.

So, with a little help from a handful of mung beans and coconut milk this rice pudding came to life.

Ingredients

Short and simple list of ingredients

mung beans – dry roast/toast in a pan over medium high heat

cooked sticky rice – also known in Filipino as malagkit or sticky rice

water – good old, reliable water

coconut milk – good coconut milk from a tetra pack or carton is the closest I have found to coconut milk from home

sugar – muscovado sugar or granulated sugar

pandan leaf – for that floral aroma, omit if you don’t have any

salt – optional, this brings out the sweetness of the dessert

How to make Ginataang Munggo

Ginataang munggo is traditionally made by cooking the rice into a gruel-like consistency but this recipe is easier by using leftover rice.

As long as you take out the leftover rice from the fridge ahead of time to bring to room temperature then this don’t take much of your time at all.

While waiting for the rice to come to room temperature, heat a pan.

Toast the mung beans until until it turns brown.

Don’t burn yourself.

Pour the toasted mung beans into a mortar and pestle and lightly crack them open.

Pour the water and coconut milk in a pan.

Add the pandan leaf and toasted mung beans.

Let boil and cook the beans.

Add the sticky rice and sugar.

Check for sweetness.

Add a pinch of salt.

Simmer for a minute or two and serve.

Tips and tricks

If no mortar and pestle is available, spead the toasted beans on a tray and crack them open with a bottle or rolling pin.
If the mixture is too thick, gradually add water or more liquid to thin it out keeping in mind the creamy consistency not watery.
As the snack cools down it will thicken so, you might want to cook it a little thinner.
Stir the mixture while cooking to prevent burning and sticking in the bottom of the pot.

Do you want more easy snack recipes and ideas? Here are some of my (our) favorite recipes that you will love.

Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie

Mango Float

Easy Waffles

Macaroni Salad FIlipino Style

Easy Leche Flan

You might want to watch how to make it. Click here for the recipe video.

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