Togue guisado

A light vegetable dish of crisp togue (mung bean sprouts), carrots and green beans cooked with golden brown pork cubes. Togue Guisado may be served as a main course or a side dish.

Togue is available in wet markets and most supermarkets. Sold by weight, it is prized for its sweet flavor and crisp texture. To retain the crispness, it is important not to overcook togue.

Another important thing to remember when cooking togue is its high water content. Once in the pan, togue will render water. Hence, if using for a stir-fried dish, it would be more advisable not to add too much water before adding the togue to the pan.

Ingredients :

1/2 kilo of (mung) bean sprouts, washed and drained
1 small tofu, cut into 1/2 x 1/2 inch cubes
200 grams of pork, cut into 1/2 x 1/2 inch cubes
1 carrot, diced
100 grams of green beans, sliced diagonally into 1 inch lengths
1 head garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp. of cooking oil
1/2 tsp. of tomato paste (optional)

Cooking procedure :

Heat 1 tbsp. of cooking oil in a skillet. Over high heat, pan-fry the pork pieces until golden brown. Add the garlic. Stir for 30 seconds. Add the onions and tomatoes. Stir until the tomatoes start to liquify. Add 1/2 cup of water, tomato paste (if using) salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until pork is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes. Add more water, 1/2 c. at a time, if the mixture becomes too dry before the pork is cooked. Increase heat to high. Add the tofu. Stir. Add in the carrots and green beans. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the carrots and beans are almost done. Add the bean sprouts. Stir for a few seconds; bean sprouts take only about a minute to cook.