Tortang Talong Kapampangan Style (Eggplant Omelette)

Today we spent the whole day at my brother in law Les's place. He and my sister in law Cathy cooked one of my favorite dishes which was "Tortang Talong" for lunch and for dinner I cooked Pork Kaldereta. This recipe is also one of Cathy's favorite Kapampangan comfort foods that she misses from the motherland. Ilocanos have a variation to this which is plain egg torta with eggplant but this one has hamburger, diced potatoes, minced onions and garlic. Also in prepping it filipinos either grill it over an open flame or electric burner or boiled in water then the charred or boiled skin is peeled and removed from the succulent green flesh of the eggplant. One tortang is enough to feed one person, but for me I can always go for two! :) So here is the recipe!

Tortang Talong Kapampangan Style

Ingredients:

4 eggs
4 large long eggplants
2 lb ground beef
1 round yellow onion, chopped and minced fine
2 large fresh garlic cloves, chopped and minced fine
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
dash fresh cracked black pepper
dash MSG to taste (optional)
1 Tbsp patis or fish sauce (nuoc mam)
canola oil for pan frying

Instructions:

Grill eggplant over an open flame or electric burner. My wife prefers it boiled because its a lot cleaner without the charred taste. Most filipinos love the charred flavor.
Peel skin and rinse under cold running water to remove charred skin. Set aside and drain in paper towels to remove moisture.

Crack 4 eggs in a mixing bowl and scramble. Do not over scramble because you will make it too thin. Add pepper, patis, and MSG. Set aside for later.

In a hot frying pan add 2 Tbsp canola oil. Add minced garlic and onions. Fry until translucent. Add ground beef and brown and cook well done. Mash hamburger up and add diced potatoes. Continue cooking until potatoes and hamburger cooks down. Drain excess oil and set aside to cool in another bowl.

Add 1 Tbsp canola oil to a frying pan and set on medium heat. Smash and flatten drained eggplant and dip in beaten egg mixture. Fry one eggplant at a time. Add hamburger mixture to eggplant and flatten with spatula. Add more egg to eggplant if needed to coat hamburger mixture. Flip over to brown both sides. Lower flame to cook well. Be careful not to burn Tortang Talong. Repeat method for 3 other eggplant. Serve with steamed hot rice.

Yields 4 servings.








































































































































Serve with ketchup/catsup or filipino style with kalamansi lime, soy sauce and patis as a dipping sauce. Other variations are patis, vinegar and or soy sauce etc.

Enjoy!!! :D