IMBB 16: Meatless Aubergine Fritatta (Eggs!)
Eggs! What a theme for this month’s Is My Blog Burning?, the classic online food event which has given life to several sub-themes! This edition is hosted by Viv, the Seattle Bon Vivant herself.
“Salvation is in the ordinary”, our retreat director told us one Holy Week. At the risk of being blasphemous, I thought this could be applied to Filipino daily fare in general, for the ingredients are taken from the most ordinary components in the locality and transformed into something which nourishes the stomach and the heart. Salvation for my IMBB entry as well because I was in danger of not having one. Since we are to make use of such a versatile ingredient this month, it would be a shame if I missed out. True enough, the ordinariness and versatility saved me. This recipe is my take on the regular Filipino tortang talong or aubergine fritatta. The Filipinised torta can either be a fritatta or an omelette.
The original tortang talong has some ground meat in the filling but I came up with this version years ago when I had to use up the contents of the vegetable compartment but wanted something light at the same time. There were some aubergines and eggs but I wanted something more than the plain vertically sliced pieces dipped in eggs then fried. Since then, it has become a favourite.
Meatless Tortang Talong
2 medium-large aubergines (eggplants)
2 tablespoons finely crushed garlic
1 large egg (chicken’s or duck’s)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Dipping sauce:
2 large calamansi (citrus)
soy sauce
Parboil the whole aubergines till tender enough to pierce with a fork yet still firm enough to keep their shape. Transfer to a plate then flatten by piercing and mashing with fork tines.
Liberally combine the garlic with the aubergine flesh by continuing to mash.
Beat the egg well. Immerse the aubergine-garlic mixture into the egg, making sure they are coated well.
Heat a tablespoon of oil and then fry each piece in high heat for the first half minute then lower the fire till fritatta reach desired doneness. One of the earliest cooking rules I learnt from my mother is that eggs burn easily. Enjoy the scent of the garlic, more subtle but still there. Drain on paper towels.
I enjoy eating this by itself but the best meal combination I have had so far is with plain fried rice and tinapa (smoked fish), with a dipping sauce of soy-calamansi (calamunding in Kapampangan, a native citrus - Citrofortunella microcarpa). Very light, simple yet filling. This is an example of the quintessential everyday Filipino meal, that which have sustained us for centuries.
Salvation, whether of the soul or body, is indeed in the ordinary.
Thank you Viv, for hosting this month’s event!
The round-up comes in two parts: click for part 1 and part 2.
helllooo, i haven’t had breakfast yet, and it’s almost lunchtime. i’ve never been fond of tortang talong with ground meat in it, i much prefer this vegetarian version. you’re making me so hungry! :egghead: thanks for the recipe.
:hungry: I think I know what I’m having for dinner! *tummy grumbles* I’m not a big fan of torta with ground pork. I like my talong plain. Hehehe. Thanks for this recipe!
karen, this is the way my mom has always prepared tortang talong, though she grills hers. i only learned about the pork-stuffed one after i came to the US. like you i love its simplicity. sayang ‘di ako nakasali sa IMBB this month. too busy:(
Yummm…this looks soo good. I love eggplants and am always looking for more ways to use them : this is such a great meatless recipe. Thanks for the idea!
didnt make it to IMBB was busy I was in france but I have so many ideas what i wanted to do
akala ko pritong balut sa yo??
myhusband loves this….
This looks and I am sure will taste delicious. Maybe one day you should try a dozen or more aubergines with different fillings and do a taste test! What do you think???
suddenly I’m craving for talong
Hmmm! You just made me hungry! :hungry: This is my favorite way of cooking eggplants, meatless, more out of necessity than anything else as I usually don’t have any ground meat on hand
Karen, thanks for your comment on my site and for providing such valuable information about making chocolate at home and about Bibingka & Pinoys.
I tried to comment on your old site few weeks back, but the site was not loading properly. I treid several times but no luck. You must be in the process of moving and changing the site. Your new blog design looks great, you even require security code to post a comment on your blog. Wow, I never saw this feature on any blogs I visited before. You don’t want any spammers, do you?
Ate, Toni, Thess: this recipe never fails to make me hungry too! Just thinking about it makes my stomach grumble, hehehe! :hungry:
Stef, JMom and Schatzli: I’m glad there are others who enjoy this the way I do. Perhaps my only advantage is that I have freshly smoked tinapa to go with it, hehehe!
Stef, not to worry there will be more IMBBs and spin-offs we can join to our hearts content when time allows. That’s what I like about being part of the food blog community.
Schatzli, I thought of cooking balut as adobo or ala pobre but didn’t have time. We’ll see next time but I’ll have to be creative so as not to gross out others with more delicate sensibilities.
Hi Nupur, thanks for dropping by. I’ve also been to your site and saw a lot of great ideas. I may not be vegetarian but I love eating meatless dishes.
Marketman! That’s a wonderful idea. I’m already listing several in my head as I type this. Will Mansion Marketman host the food tasting event? Hehehe!
Hello Indira, thanks for dropping by. My blog genie was indeed moving servers the other week or so. Yes, the security code is meant to filter spam but you know how they always improve their tactics! Sigh!
Now that you have my chocolate-making in the open, I hope nobody puts me to task for not posting an entry yet since I already mentioned it before, hehehe! I still have to find a cacao tree and take step-by-step pictures. The tree we had in my childhood died at the height of Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption.
It’s a pleasure browsing your site (and Nupur’s). There are a lot of similarities between Indian and Filipino cooking. It would be wonderful to rediscover the food pathways forged hundreds of years ago.
It’s so great and funny to hear that lots of people enjoy tortang talong the way I do…with no ground meat. I’m not a vegetarian (far, far from it), but for some reason I like my tortang talong just the way you’ve described it. Except I always have to have my torta with (don’t get grossed out) ketchup. Always. I’ve never had it with the garlic though. That sounds super good! I’ll have to try that next time…
Hello Joey, thanks for the note. I’m also glad that others eat tortang talong like I do. Try it with garlic, I assure you it’s so much more enjoyable. Don’t worry, I’m not grossed out with your eating it with catsup. I’m used to seeing my brother drowning his food in it - even from when we were children!