Ginisang Togue, Filipino Sauteed Bean Sprouts
Ginisang togue is a plain, thrifty Filipino home dish, bean sprouts sautéed on the gisa base of garlic, onion, and tomato that starts so much of the country's cooking. Togue, the sprouts, cost almost nothing and cook in a minute, which is exactly the challenge: added too early they slump into wet strings, so they go in last and come out while they still crunch. Cubes of dry-seared tofu add protein where pork or shrimp would usually go, and carrot and long beans add color and bite. A splash of tamari seasons it in place of the fish sauce or bagoong a Filipino cook would reach for. It is a fast weeknight side over brown rice.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Soybean sprouts
- 6 oz Firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 Yellow onion, sliced
- 1 Fresh tomatoe, chopped
- 1 Carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 cup Long beans, cut into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths
- 1 tbsp Low-sodium tamari
- 3 tbsp Scallions, sliced
- 1/4 tsp White pepper
Method
- Dry-sear the tofu cubes in a hot nonstick pan, turning, until golden on several sides, then set aside. Browning them without oil firms the surface so they hold their shape through the sauté instead of crumbling.
- In the same pan, sweat the garlic, onion, and tomato in a few tablespoons of water until the tomato breaks down into a loose sauce, about 5 minutes. This gisa base of garlic, onion, and tomato is the starting point of countless Filipino dishes.
- Add the carrot and long beans and cook 3 minutes, just until they lose their raw edge. The firmer vegetables need a head start on the sprouts.
- Turn the heat high, add the sprouts and tofu, and toss for only 1 to 2 minutes. Bean sprouts are almost all water and go limp fast, so the goal is to heat them through while keeping the snap. Season with tamari and white pepper and finish with scallion off the heat.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 120 calories, 9 g protein, 4 g fiber, 210 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
