Eddie Flores Jr. is well-known as the co-founder of the popular L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. At home, he cooks a dish for his wife Elaine not offered at his restaurants: a healthy Filipino classic dish. Some preparations of mung (mongo) beans with bitter melon leaves are too salty and rich from roasted pork. Flores keeps it less salty and uses a small mountain of bitter melon leaves to add nutrients. Instead of fatty roast pork, he adds both fresh and dried shrimp.

The dried beans turn creamy after being soaked for four hours and then cooked with the dried shrimp for at least 20 minutes.

Adding additional flavor to the dish, Flores cooks the shrimp shells in chicken broth. Aromatics include garlic and round onion, but Flores prefers to have texture in the onion, so he doesn’t overcook it. This recipe is tailored to his palate and he omits tomatoes, which are often included. Of course, he adds the flavor bomb of the Philippines, patis (fish sauce), but not too much. Various green leaves can be added. He prefers the bite of bitter melon leaves. Watercress or moringa (marungay) leaves can be substituted. They are added just minutes before serving to keep them green and fresh.

The attractive pieces of raw shrimp join in at the very finish, for just minutes until the color turns red. Served over hot rice, it is a delicious combination of tastes and textures.

Eddie Flores Jr.’s Mongo Beans with Shrimp and Bitter Melon Leaves
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup dried green or yellow mung (mongo) beans
• 3 Chinese dried shrimp, chopped
• 6 raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon patis (fish sauce)
•1 1/2 cups bitter melon leaves, substitute watercress or marungay (moringa)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Soak beans and dried shrimp in enough water to cover for 4-6 hours. Peel raw shrimp and keep shells. Devein. Pour chicken broth in a pot with shrimp shells and boil for 1 hour. Drain shells and heat broth with drained mung beans and dried shrimp on high until boiling. Then lower heat to medium and cover.

Heat a large skillet on high and saute garlic until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic to beans and continue cooking until beans are soft, about 20-30 minutes. In the skillet, saute onion and patis for 1 minute. Add to soft beans. Wash and drain leaves and cook for 2-3 minutes. Taste beans and add salt or pepper, if needed. Add raw shrimp and cook until color turns red, 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately with hot rice.

Makes 2 servings.

Lynette Lo Tom has written three cookbooks and loves hearing about home cooks. Visit lynettecooks.com for more information.