I came across another Filipino dish that I wanted to try recently, tortang talong, aubergine omelette. Ingredient-wise, it’s very simple but the method means it’s not something you can knock together in 5 minutes. Well, you could probably cook it in about 20 minutes!
I made the most basic of tortang talongs, with just aubergine and egg, and it was lovely in all its simplicity. Onions, tomatoes and other vegetables, all finely chopped, are also common additions. Minced pork is also commonly added, making it something you could just eat by itself with rice. If adding any of these, I would fry them separately and mix them with the egg, patting the filling onto the aubergine when frying.
What other Filipino dishes would you recommend?
Tortang Talong
serves 2 as a dish in an Asian meal.
2 medium-sized long aubergines
1 large egg
salt
oil
Grill the aubergines over an open flame until soft but not mushy. If you have not got a gas stove, you can put them under a grill in they oven too. The skin should be black. Let cool and peel off the skins, keeping the flesh and the stem intact. With a fork, flatten the flesh so you’ve formed aubergine fans, still keeping the stems on.
In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with a little salt.
Heat a frying pan oven medium heat and when hot, add about 1 tbsp of oil. Using the stem of the aubergine as a handle, dip the flesh of the aubergine into the egg, turning to coat both sides. Lay the eggy aubergine fan into the frying pan. Repeat with the other aubergine, laying it next to the first in the pan. Pour over the rest of the egg onto the aubergines in the pan, taking care to keep them separate. Cook on each side for a few minutes, until both sides are golden brown.
Serve with rice, possibly with other Asian dishes too. I read that ketchup is commonly eaten with tortang talong but I had mine with chilli sauce.
Tamarind and Thyme 
Fri, 9 Sep, 2011 at 21:08
I like this. Will give it a try. For other Filipino dishes I like Sinigang (soup) and adobo.
Now I know filipiino spells aubergine (talong) very similar Malay (terung).
Fri, 9 Sep, 2011 at 23:11
I have never heard of this but it features two of my favourite things, so I think I shall have to try!
Fri, 9 Sep, 2011 at 23:51
never heard of this but it looks great
Sun, 11 Sep, 2011 at 09:09
How interesting! I love omelettes and I love aubergine, so I think I would like this. Looks tricky to get right though!
Mon, 12 Sep, 2011 at 12:17
Not had that much Filipino food but this recipe looks great.
Mon, 12 Sep, 2011 at 12:53
I’ve never put aubergine into an omelette, but can imagine it tastes pretty good! I always find it goes a little bit greasy when you fry it so your method of baking and removing the flesh is perfect – randomly I used a similar method making an aubergine dish for the latest post on my blog too 🙂
Thu, 15 Sep, 2011 at 18:15
another name for it is rellenong talong (from the spanish word, relleno which means stuffed).
You can also use the same stuffing (with the ground pork) for bitter melon.
Mon, 19 Sep, 2011 at 00:12
Looks an intriguing dish – wish i had a gas stove to give the aubergines a real char! I’ve only recently discovered Filipino food as there’s this little place down the road from my house where the Filipino owner cooks up some local dishes. I quite like their Pinakbet which is a vege stir fry of okra, aubergine in a tomato sauce and anchovie puree (sounds a little strange, but works!)
Tue, 20 Sep, 2011 at 09:39
looks wonderfully tasty!
Sun, 9 Oct, 2011 at 00:27
sunflower: Thank you for the suggestion! I must try sinigang.
Kavey: I too love both eggs and aubergines so I knew this must be a winner!
Kat: Thank you!
Alicia: It’s not tricky at all! Getting the aubergine into a fan shape was relatively straightforward but I suppose with too much force, one could smash one’s fork all the way through!
May: I’d like to try more… I hear Filipino pork dishes are quite something.
thelittleloaf: I wonder if steaming would also work but then the aubergine wouldn’t have its lovely charred flavour.
Cynthia: Ah…. when stuffed with pork. I see. I like the suggestion of bitter melon!
Guan: If you don’t have a gas stove, you can still grill the aubergines in an oven. I like the sound of pinakbet!
Ilse: Thank you!