Tortang Talong Recipe (2024)

Published: by Nora Reyes · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

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Tortang Talong, or eggplant omelet, is the Filipino version of an omelet with smoky, custardy eggplant grilled on an open flame. It is dipped in an egg mixture and fried, creating a fluffy omelet with crispy edges. It's a simple yet flavorful way to elevate the humble eggplant into a special and satisfying meal.

Tortang Talong Recipe (1)
Jump to:
  • What is Torta?
  • Ingredients you'll need
  • Notes and substitutions
  • How to make this recipe
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Try other dishes with eggplant
  • Other vegetable recipes you may like
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

What is Torta?

In Filipino cuisine, "torta" is a savory omelet, derived from the Spanish word for "cake," reflecting the Philippines' Spanish colonial history. While "torta" in Spain can denote a cake, in the Philippines, it's primarily an egg-based dish.

Popular variations include Tortang Sayote (chayote omelet), Tortang Giniling (a ground meat omelet, typically made with leftover Picadillo), and Tortang Alimasag (crab omelet). It's customary to serve torta with rice, and it's frequently paired with banana ketchup for an added burst of flavor.

Ingredients you'll need

Tortang Talong Recipe (2)

Notes and substitutions

  • Eggplant: Choose the long, slender Japanese/Chinese variety available at Asian supermarkets.
  • Oil: Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point, which is ideal for frying. Good options include vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, or avocado oil if you're willing to spend a bit more.

How to make this recipe

Step 1: Use a fork to pierce the eggplant to allow the steam to escape as it cooks, preventing it from bursting. Grill them on the stove over medium-high heat, preferably on a wire rack.

Turn them with tongs every few minutes until the skin is charred and flaky and the flesh becomes soft. Alternatively, you can broil them in the oven until charred.

Tortang Talong Recipe (3)

Step 2: Once cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin while leaving the flesh intact. You can use a spoon to scrape any burnt bits or rinse them gently under running water.

Tortang Talong Recipe (4)

Step 3: Flatten them with a fork, keeping them as whole as possible. Set them aside.

Tortang Talong Recipe (5)

Step 4: Combine 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, a pinch of salt, some ground pepper, 1 stalk of scallion, and chilies (if using) in a bowl. Beat until frothy to create a lighter and fluffier omelet.

Tortang Talong Recipe (6)

Step 5: Dip the eggplant into the egg mixture, coating them well. If you prefer to fry them separately, you can use two bowls to make it easier to slide them into the pan.

Tortang Talong Recipe (7)

Step 6: Heat a small skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add a generous amount of oil, around ½-inch thick. Once the oil starts smoking, carefully slide the eggplant into the skillet. The hot oil will create a fluffy omelet with crispy edges.

Tortang Talong Recipe (8)

Step 7: Fry until the edges are browned, about 1 minute. If the eggs have spread out too much, you can fold the sides inward.

Tortang Talong Recipe (9)

Step 8: Carefully flip the omelet and continue frying the other side for another minute until browned and thoroughly cooked.

Tortang Talong Recipe (10)

Step 9: Drain the excess oil as you lift it off the pan or drain it on paper towels.

Serve immediately and enjoy with ketchup, sweet chili sauce, or Sriracha. For a classic Filipino meal, serve it withSinangag or Java Rice.

Tortang Talong Recipe (11)

Recipe FAQs

Can I use other types of eggplant?

While it is possible to use other types of eggplant, such as globe or Italian eggplant, it's worth noting that larger ones can be a bit trickier to cook on the stovetop. They tend to char on the outside before the inside becomes creamy and fully cooked.

What does eggplant taste like?

Eggplant has a mild, earthy taste. The flavor can vary depending on how it's cooked and seasoned. When cooked, it becomes tender and creamy. Proper seasoning is essential to avoid any bitterness or blandness.

Try other dishes with eggplant

  • Eggplant Stir Fry: A quick stir-fry with eggplants, shrimp, bell peppers, and aromatics.
  • Ensaladang Talong: A creamy salad with grilled eggplants, tomatoes, and onions, usually seasoned with shrimp paste or vinegar.
  • Kare Kare: A rich peanut stew that contains beef (often oxtail) and various vegetables like eggplant, yarlong beans, and okra.
  • Adobong Talong: Eggplant slices stewed in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic, adopting the classic Filipino adobo flavor profile.
  • Pinakbet: A mixed vegetable stew with eggplant, squash, okra, yardlong beans, and bitter gourd, sautéed with shrimp paste.

Other vegetable recipes you may like

  • Ginataang Puso ng Saging Recipe
  • Tofu and Mushroom Adobo Recipe
  • Laing Recipe
  • Adobong Talong Recipe
Tortang Talong Recipe (16)

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📖 Recipe

Tortang Talong Recipe (17)

Tortang Talong Recipe

A fluffy omelet with crispy edges made with smoky, custardy eggplant grilled on an open flame.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 352kcal

Author: Nora Rey

Cost: $2-$3

Equipment

  • Small skillet or wok

Ingredients

  • 2 Japanese or Chinese eggplant see note
  • 3 eggs beaten well
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Neutral oil (for frying) see note

Instructions

  • Use a fork to pierce the eggplant to allow the steam to escape as it cooks, preventing it from bursting.

  • Grill them on the stove over medium-high heat, preferably on a wire rack. Turn them with tongs every few minutes until the skin is charred and flaky and the flesh becomes soft. Alternatively, you can broil them in the oven until charred.

  • Once cool enough to handle, peel the charred skin while leaving the flesh intact. You can use a spoon to scrape any burnt bits or rinse them gently under running water.

  • Flatten them with a fork, keeping them as whole as possible. Set them aside.

  • Combine the eggs, fish sauce, a pinch of salt, some ground pepper, scallions, and chilies (if using) in a bowl. Beat until frothy to create a lighter and fluffier omelet.

  • Dip the eggplant into the egg mixture, coating them well. If you prefer to fry them separately, you can use two bowls to make it easier to slide them into the pan.

  • Heat a small skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add a generous amount of oil, around ½-inch thick.

    Once the oil starts smoking, carefully slide the eggplant into the skillet. The hot oil will create a fluffy omelet with crispy edges.

  • Fry until the edges are browned, about 1 minute. If the eggs have spread out too much, you can fold the sides inward.

  • Carefully flip the omelet and continue frying the other side for another minute until browned and thoroughly cooked.

  • Drain the excess oil as you lift it off the pan or drain it on paper towels. Serve immediately and enjoy with ketchup, sweet chili sauce, or Sriracha.

Notes

  • Eggplant: Choose the long, slender Japanese/Chinese variety available at Asian supermarkets.
  • Oil: Choose a neutral oil with a high smoke point, which is ideal for frying. Good options include vegetable oil, canola oil, peanut oil, or avocado oil if you're willing to spend a bit more.

Nutrition

Calories: 352kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 6gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 123mgSodium: 460mgPotassium: 574mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 231IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 40mgIron: 1mg

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided here is solely for informational purposes. I am not a certified nutritionist, and this data hasn't been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration or any other authority. It shouldn't be seen as health or nutrition advice. The figures are estimates calculated from various food composition databases and might vary based on product types, brands, natural variations in produce, and ingredient processing methods. Individual results may differ.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. B

    Tortang Talong Recipe (22)
    Yummmm!

    Reply

    • Nora Rey

      I totally agree! 🤤😋

      Reply

Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think:

Tortang Talong Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to cooking eggplant? ›

If you're baking or roasting eggplants, give them some wiggle room so they cook evenly. You don't want to crowd the baking sheet or pan. "When you lay them on the tray to roast, make sure they're in a single layer and give them enough room to roast properly.

What is the secret to tender eggplant? ›

The other trick for perfect roasted eggplant? Cooking it at a high temperature (425 F / 218 C) for enough time (25-30 minutes) to give it a browned exterior and tender interior. Just look at those cubed purple beauties! & Super snack-able!

Is tortang talong the best egg dish in the world? ›

According to a ranking of egg dishes around the world by online food guide Taste Atlas, the Philippines has the best egg dish in the world in tortang talong, as well as the dubious honor of the worst egg dish in balut.

How to avoid soggy eggplant? ›

Depending on the recipe, you might want to slice and salt globe eggplant slices before cooking them in order to draw out some of the water and keep them from turning to mush. In On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee writes that because eggplants are filled with tiny air pockets, they function like sponges.

What happens if you don't salt eggplant before cooking? ›

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

Is it better to soak eggplant in milk or salt? ›

Soak it in milk.

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

How to cook eggplant so it's not rubbery? ›

Another key to avoid steaming is to not overcrowd the pan. First, simply dice or slice the eggplant however you choose, then drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before transferring to the oven, which Stilo said is best at a higher temperature (400 to 425°F).

What is the Filipino favorite food egg? ›

A balut is a fertilized bird egg (usually a duck) which is incubated for a period of 14 to 21 days, depending on the local culture, and then steamed. The contents are eaten directly from the shell.

What is the hardest egg dish to make? ›

Japan) is one of the hardest egg dishes to make, but. it isn't impossible!

What is the best oil to fry eggplant in? ›

Heat 1/4 inch of grapeseed oil in a nonstick skillet over medium until hot enough for frying. The ideal temperature for frying eggplant is about 365-375 degrees F. The best way to monitor the temperature is to use a deep fry or candy thermometer; or, you can drop a small piece of bread into the oil.

Why do you soak eggplant in vinegar? ›

Why do you soak eggplant in water and vinegar? Soaking eggplant in water and vinegar helps remove some of the vegetable's natural bitterness. This step also helps preserve some of the skin's color so it stays a vibrant purple even after cooking.

How to tell if eggplant is bad? ›

Answer. Eggplant flesh will have tan to brown colored spots around the seeds. If this is the color you are referring to, it is edible. If the flesh is more brown than white, the eggplant may be spoiling and should be discarded.

How is eggplant best prepared? ›

Eggplants can be grilled, steamed, braised, stir-fried, deep-fried and roasted. For a smoky flavour, turn whole eggplants over an open flame on the barbecue or stovetop until the skin is charred, then scoop out the flesh. Choose eggplants with smooth and shiny skin that is even across the surface.

Which cooking method is appropriate for eggplant? ›

Fried or baked eggplant is delicious, but they are not the only ways to cook eggplant. Try it sautéed, stir-fried, grilled, or broiled.

Do you have to do anything to eggplant before cooking? ›

I tend to soak the slices in a bowl of water with a couple of tablespoon of salt for about 30-45 minutes. It doesn't have to do with bitterness, but I find that in doing this, the fried eggplant turns out less greasy," Jenkins says.

How to prevent eggplant from absorbing oil when frying? ›

Typically eggplant behaves like a sponge, soaking up heroic amounts of oil when fried. The Terzo Piano chefs use this trick to prevent heavy aubergines: Before frying, soak the strips of eggplant in an ice water bath. They will absorb water and drop in temperature.

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