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Tortang talong (or torta) is a Filipino eggplant omelette made by pan-frying a charred eggplant doused in (vegan) egg. The outside of the omelette is golden brown and crispy, while the core remains soft and creamy. This dish is a popular breakfast or lunch in the Philippines and requires just a few simple ingredients. It will be your new favorite summer recipe!
Tortang talong translates to “eggplant omelette,” from a suffixed form of torta (“omelette” or “flat cake”) and talong (eggplant).
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Japanese eggplants: Thinner purple eggplants are ideal for this recipe. When larger eggplant varieties are used, the eggplant may need to be halved or quartered (with the stalk still attached), so they are not too big for your pan and are easier to handle.
- Cooking oil: We use olive, avocado, or coconut oil.
- Aromatics: We like incorporating yellow or white onion and garlic cloves into the egg mixture for extra flavor.
- Liquid Vegan Egg: 1 1/2 cups liquid vegan egg (we used Just Egg)
- Seasonings: We added vegan fish sauce, salt, and pepper, but feel free to add additional spices or seasonings of your choice. Soy sauce is also great in the egg mixture!
- Serve with: Banana ketchup (or regular ketchup) and rice. Scallions are also great for garnish!
How to Make Tortang Talong
To prepare tortang talong, you first need to char whole eggplants until the flesh is soft and the skin is almost black. You can do this over the flame on a gas stove or a grill or broil it in the oven on a baking pan.
The charring of the eggplant is essential and should not be skipped! It gives this recipe its characteristic smoky flavor. Once charred, cool the eggplant and peel the charred skin off. Using the back of a fork, mash the flesh flat. Dip the flattened eggplant into your prepared vegan egg mixture and pan fry until golden and crispy.
Prepare the Vegan “Egg” Mixture
Add a tablespoon of oil to a large pan. Once heated, add onions and garlic and saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the cooked onion and garlic mixture to a wide and shallow bowl or container. Add in the vegan egg, vegan fish sauce, salt, and ground black pepper. Mix until uniform and set aside.
Equipment
- Aluminum foil (optional): You can use this to line your stovetop for easier clean-up.
- Large pan: Be sure it is big enough to comfortably fit the eggplant.
- Tongs: For flipping the eggplant
- Wide and shallow bowl: Makes it easier to dip the eggplant into the egg mixture
- Fork: For mashing the eggplant
If you like this recipe, you might also enjoy
- Loaded Vegan Chickpea Omelet
- Filipino Scrambled Eggs
- Giniling (Filipino Picadillo)
- Arroz Caldo (Filipino Rice Porridge)
- Fluffy Ube Pandesal (Filipino Purple Yam Bread Rolls)
- Suman Malagkit (Filipino Steamed Rice Cakes)
Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes; we love to see your photos!
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Tortang Talong (Filipino Eggplant omelette)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 3 eggplant omelettes
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Tortang talong (or torta) is a Filipino eggplant omelette made by pan-frying a charred eggplant doused in (vegan) egg. The outside of the omelette is golden brown and crispy, while the core remains soft and creamy. This dish is a popular breakfast or lunch in the Philippines and requires just a few simple ingredients. It will be your new favorite summer recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 Japanese eggplants
- Cooking oil of choice
- 1 yellow or white onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups liquid vegan egg (we used Just Egg)
- 2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Serve with
- Banana ketchup (or regular ketchup)
- Rice
Equipment
- Aluminum foil (optional)
- Large pan
- Tongs
- Wide and shallow bowl
- Fork
Instructions
- Char the whole eggplants until the flesh is soft and the skin is almost black. We like to roast the eggplants over medium to medium-low heat on a gas burner (directly on the flame) until charred all around, flipping it with tongs to prevent burning our hands. You can line your stovetop around the flame with aluminum foil for easier clean-up. The eggplants can also be roasted on a grill or broil it in the oven on a baking pan.
- Once charred, set the eggplant aside on a plate or baking dish to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, add a tablespoon of oil to a large pan. Once heated, add onions and garlic and saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked onion and garlic mixture to a wide and shallow bowl or container. Add in the vegan egg, vegan fish sauce, salt, and ground black pepper. Mix until uniform and set aside.
- Peel the charred skin off of the eggplant. It is ok if a small amount of charred skin remains.
- Using the back of a fork, Flatten each eggplant so that it fans out into a wide teardrop shape.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in your pan.
- Dip the flattened eggplant into your prepared vegan egg mixture and add it to the heated pan. Spoon over about 1/4 cup more of the egg mixture over the top. If it starts to spread out, you can use your spatula or cooking utensil to push it back towards the eggplant. Pan-fry for about 3 minutes on one side, or until golden and crispy. Flip and cook the second side until golden. Continue with the remaining eggplants.
- Serve with rice and banana ketchup. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to add additional spices or seasonings of your choice.
- Soy sauce is also great in the egg mixture!
- The charring of the eggplant is essential and should not be skipped! It gives this recipe its characteristic smoky flavor.
- Thinner purple eggplants are ideal for this recipe. When larger eggplant varieties are used, the eggplant may need to be halved or quartered (with the stalk still attached) so they are not too big for your pan and are easier to handle.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Filipino
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This was super tasty – just the way I remembered my mom making it for me growing up! I used a different brand of vegan egg but it still turned out successfully!