Alternative names | Eggplant omelette, tortalong, torta talong |
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Course | Main course, side dish |
Place of origin | Philippines |
Serving temperature | Warm |
Main ingredients | Eggplant, eggs, salt |
Variations | Rellenong talong |
Similar dishes | Poqui poqui |
Tortang talong, also known as eggplant omelette, [1] is an omelette or fritter from Filipino cuisine made by pan-frying grilled whole eggplants dipped in an egg mixture. [2] [3] It is a popular breakfast and lunch meal in the Philippines. A common variant of tortang talong is rellenong talong, which is stuffed with meat, seafood, and/or vegetables.
The name tortang talong means "eggplant omelette"; from a suffixed form of torta ("omelette" or "flat cake"), and talong (eggplant). [4] The name is sometimes shortened to tortalong. [5]
The basic tortang talong recipe involves first grilling the whole eggplant until the flesh is soft and the skin becomes charred and almost black. This can be done in a charcoal grill, a baking pan, or over a direct flame while wrapped in aluminum foil (like on a gas stove). The grilling gives the eggplant a characteristic smoky flavor. The charred skin is then peeled off, although the stalk is retained. The flesh is mashed flat with a fork and dipped into a beaten egg mixture seasoned with a salt and spices to taste. The eggplant is then pan-fried until the outside is golden brown and crispy, while the core remains soft and creamy. [6] [7] [8] [9]
The most common varieties of eggplants in the Philippines are the long and slender purple kind. When larger and rounder eggplant varieties are used, the eggplant may need to be halved or quartered (with the stalk still attached) so they can be grilled more evenly. [10] [11]
Tortang talong is most commonly eaten for breakfast or lunch. It is served on white rice, sometimes accompanied with a dipping sauce (like soy sauce, vinegar, banana ketchup, etc.) or additional seasoning (like black pepper, calamansi, or chilis). It can also be served as a side dish to meat dishes. [11] [12]
A notable variant of tortang talong is rellenong talong (also spelled relyenong talong; from Spanish relleno , "stuffed"), commonly anglicized as "stuffed eggplant omelette". This version is cooked in the same way as the regular version, except that the omelette also includes various stuffings of pre-cooked meat (like minced beef or pork or longganisa ), seafood, and/or vegetables. [10] [13] [14] [15]
In some versions, the eggplant is not grilled, but is instead boiled, resulting in a softer version that lacks the characteristic smoky flavor of the original dish. [16] Non-traditional restaurant variants may also remove the stalk and puree the eggplant before mixing it with the omelette. [17]
The basic tortang talong recipe as well as rellenong talong stuffed with vegetables are considered vegetarian. [18] A vegan version can also be made using squash, flour, and tofu as an egg substitute. [19]
Eggplant, aubergine, brinjal, or baigan (GY) is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Solanum melongena is grown worldwide for its edible fruit.
An omelette is a dish made from eggs, fried with butter or oil in a frying pan. It is a common practice for the omelette to be folded around fillings such as chives, vegetables, mushrooms, meat, cheese, onions or some combination of the above. Whole eggs or egg whites are often beaten with a small amount of milk, cream, or water.
Filipino cuisine is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that compose Filipino cuisine are from the food traditions of various ethnolinguistic groups and tribes of the archipelago, including the Ilocano, Pangasinan, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Bicolano, Visayan, Chavacano, and Maranao ethnolinguistic groups. The dishes associated with these groups evolved over the centuries from a largely indigenous base shared with maritime Southeast Asia with varied influences from Chinese, Spanish, and American cuisines, in line with the major waves of influence that had enriched the cultures of the archipelago, and adapted using indigenous ingredients to meet local preferences.
Torta is a culinary term that can, depending on the cuisine, refer to cakes, pies, flatbreads, sandwiches, or omelettes.
Kare-kare is a Philippine stew that features a thick savory peanut sauce. It is generally made from a base of stewed oxtail, beef tripe, pork hocks, calves' feet, pig's feet or trotters, various cuts of pork, beef stew meat, and occasionally offal. Vegetables, such as eggplant, Chinese cabbage, or other greens, daikon, green beans, okra, and asparagus beans, are added. The stew is flavored with ground roasted peanuts or peanut butter, onions, and garlic. It is colored with annatto and can be thickened with toasted or plain ground rice. Variations of kare-kare can be made with seafood, such as prawns, squid, and mussels, or exclusively from vegetables.
Barbecue varies by the type of meat, sauce, rub, or other flavorings used, the point in barbecuing at which they are added, the role smoke plays, the equipment and fuel used, cooking temperature, and cooking time.
Omurice or omu-rice is a Japanese dish consisting of an omelette made with fried rice and thin, fried scrambled eggs, usually topped with ketchup. It is a popular dish also commonly cooked at home. Children in particular enjoy omurice. It is often featured in Japan's version of a children's meal, okosama-ranchi (お子様ランチ).
Inihaw, also known as sinugba or inasal, are various types of grilled or pit-roasted barbecue dishes from the Philippines. They are usually made from pork or chicken and are served on bamboo skewers or in small cubes with a soy sauce and vinegar-based dip. The term can also refer to any meat or seafood dish cooked and served in a similar way. Inihaw are commonly sold as street food and are eaten with white rice or rice cooked in coconut leaves (pusô). Inihaw is also commonly referred to as Filipino barbecue or (informally) Pinoy BBQ.
Lumpia are various types of spring rolls from Indonesia and the Philippines. Lumpia are made of thin paper-like or crepe-like pastry skin called "lumpia wrapper" enveloping savory or sweet fillings. It is often served as an appetizer or snack, and might be served deep-fried or fresh (unfried). Lumpia are Indonesian and Filipino adaptations of the Fujianese rùnbǐng and Teochew popiah, usually consumed during Qingming Festival.
Okoy or ukoy, are Filipino crispy deep-fried fritters made with glutinous rice batter, unshelled small shrimp, and various vegetables, including calabaza, sweet potato, cassava, mung bean sprouts, scallions and julienned carrots, onions, and green papaya. They are traditionally served with vinegar-based dipping sauces. They are eaten on their own or with white rice. They are popular for breakfast, snacks, or appetizers. Okoy are sometimes dyed bright orange with achuete seeds.
Paelya or paella (Spanish), is a Philippine rice dish adapted from the Valencian paella. However, it differs significantly in its use of native glutinous rice (malagkít), giving it a soft and sticky texture, unlike the al dente texture favoured in Spanish paella. It is also characteristically topped with sliced eggs. Filipino paelya does not use saffron, but is instead coloured with atsuete (anatto), luyang diláw (turmeric), or kasubhâ (safflower).
Ginataang kalabasa, also known as kalabasa sa gata, is a Filipino vegetable stew made from calabaza in coconut milk and spices. It commonly includes shrimp and yardlong beans and either bagoong or patis. It can also be cooked with fish, crab, or meat and a variety of other ingredients. It is a creamy umami-laden dish that is naturally slightly sweet due to the calabaza. It is a type of ginataan.
Dinamita is a deep-fried Filipino snack consisting of stuffed siling haba wrapped in a thin egg crêpe. The stuffing is usually giniling, cheese, or a combination of both but it can also be adapted to use a wide variety of ingredients, including tocino, ham, bacon, tuna, and shredded chicken. Dinamita is also known as dynamite lumpia, among other names. It is a type of lumpia and it is commonly eaten as an appetizer or as a companion to beer.
Lumpiang Shanghai is a Filipino deep-fried appetizer consisting of a mixture of giniling with vegetables like carrots, chopped scallions or red onions and garlic, wrapped in a thin egg crêpe. Lumpiang Shanghai is regarded as the most basic type of lumpia in Filipino cuisine, and it is usually smaller and thinner than other lumpia variants.
Tortang kalabasa, also known as squash fritters, is a Filipino omelette made by mixing mashed or finely-grated pumpkin (calabaza) with flour, water, egg, salt, and pepper. Other ingredients like minced vegetables can also be added. It is very similar to okoy, but the latter is made with glutinous rice batter rather than eggs. Regardless it is sometimes known as squash okoy or okoy na kalabasa.
Poqui poqui, also spelled puke puke or puki puki, is a Filipino eggplant and scrambled eggs dish originating from the Ilocos Region of Northern Luzon in the Philippines. It is very similar to tortang talong in that the eggplant is first grilled directly on an open flame, then peeled and mashed. It is then added to ginisa and scrambled eggs. It is garnished with spring onions. It has a creamy texture and is usually eaten as a side dish to grilled fish and meat dishes, but it can also be eaten with white rice. It is believed that the name of poqui poqui may have originated from the Hawaiian dish poke due to the influx of Ilocano sugarcane workers to Hawaii during the American colonization of the Philippines, although they are very different dishes.
Tortang sardinas, also known as tortang tinapa, sardines omelette, or tinapa fritters, is a Filipino omelette made by mixing shredded tinapa with eggs. It can also include tomatoes, onions, garlic, salt, ground black pepper, minced spring onions, and/or flour, as well as various other ingredients. It typically uses canned sardines, which comes with a tomato sauce which may or may not also be included. It is commonly regarded as a very cheap and easy meal to prepare, with a reputation similar to instant noodles. It is usually eaten for breakfast with white rice and banana ketchup. It can also be eaten as a sandwich with pandesal bread.
Kulawo is a Filipino salad made with either minced banana blossoms or grilled eggplants cooked in coconut milk that is distinctively extracted from grated coconut meat toasted on live coals. It is a pre-colonial dish that originates from the provinces of Laguna and Quezon. Kulawo is a type of kilawin and ginataan. It is fully vegan and has a unique smoky taste that has been compared to smoked meat or fish dishes.