I love the way such a very simple recipe looks and tastes so exotic. The smokey taste of the aubergine amalgamates with the egg in the most delightful way. There are only three basic ingredients (eggs, aubergine, garlic), plus some oil to fry. In fact, it can be made without the garlic but I rather like the aromatic addition. The rest is simply a few sprinkled toppings of your choice and you can use a ready made chilli sauce.
In the Philippines, tartang talong is often served with banana ketchup, a sweet tangy sauce which is the Filipino answer to tomato ketchup. Sometimes its served with soy sauce mixed with a little vinegar. I reckon its delicious with and hot tangy and sweet chilli sauce, so I improvised. You could substitute sriracha.
Ingredients (serves 2)
For the tortang talong:
2 fairly slim purple aubergines
3 large eggs
1 fat clove of garlic (grated or finely minced)
Oil to shallow fry
For the sauce:
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
4 tbsp grapefruit juice
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 red birds eye chilli, finely chopped
Method
For the tortang talong:
In the Philippines, tartang talong is often served with banana ketchup, a sweet tangy sauce which is the Filipino answer to tomato ketchup. Sometimes its served with soy sauce mixed with a little vinegar. I reckon its delicious with and hot tangy and sweet chilli sauce, so I improvised. You could substitute sriracha.
Ingredients (serves 2)
For the tortang talong:
2 fairly slim purple aubergines
3 large eggs
1 fat clove of garlic (grated or finely minced)
Oil to shallow fry
For the sauce:
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
4 tbsp grapefruit juice
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 red birds eye chilli, finely chopped
Method
For the tortang talong:
- Leave the aubergine stems intact. Pierce the aubergines in a few places with a sharp knife and char them on all sides over a gas flame or under a very hot grill (broiler) until they begin to collapse and the interior is soft. You could use an outdoor grill (BBQ).
- Place the charred aubergines on a plate and allow to cool. When cooled, peel the charred skin. You don’t need to be too meticulous - a few charred bits add to the flavour.
- Leaving the stems intact, place the peeled aubergines on a chopping board or large plate and fan them out, flattening them slightly by pressing down with a fork.
- Beat the eggs together with the garlic in a shallow bowl (add a little salt if you wish).
- Heat oil in a frying pan. Its best to cook the aubergines individually. Dip each aubergine in the egg mixture and add to the pan, pouring a little more egg mixture over the top. Draw the edges of the egg in as it cooks, to retain the distinctive shape of the aubergine. Turn the omelette after a minute or so, to cook the other side. You are aiming for the egg to be cooked through and golden.
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
