Tortang Talong was a staple weeknight dinner at our house growing up. I’m going to show you some short cuts to get this to the table with rice and sides in 30 minutes.
Torta
In it’s essence to Filipinos Torta means a protein or vegetable cooked in scrambled eggs. In my family it was a means to get a filling nourishing meal on the table with minimal fuss. There are two ways to cook it. One is to pour the egg mixture like a pancake into a skillet so you get individual portions.
Another way to cook it is more like a fritata, where I pour everything into a skillet and cook the bottom on a stove top then finish it in the oven. We are going to be using the fritata method in this recipe.
Fillings
There are endless Torta fillings these are the variations my mom has made us over the years:
- Patatas (Potato)
- Kamatis (Tomato)
- Corned Beef
- Crab
- Giniling (Minced Beef)
Tortang Talong
What I am going to show you how to make today is Tortang Talong. Traditionally the talong (eggplant) is roasted over an open flame until it’s chard. The char imparts a smokey flavor to the talong. Then you peel off the skin and flatten the talong and dip it in scrabbled eggs and fry it off.
Now that sounds labor intensive especially if you have a 4 year old grasping at your thighs when making dinner. Which was the situation I was in when I was making and photographing this meal. Instead we are going to roast the talong in the airfryer.
30 Minute Solution
To make this quick and easy meal all you need are these ingredients. My farmers market is only around during the weekends so all these staples are from Wholefoods.
- Eggplant
- Eggs
- Microgreens (or any greens for that matter)
- Tomato
- Kraut (if you have it Atchara)
- Rice
Roast the Talong
Roasting the talong is the first step and the airfryer is my best friend. Using this fab invention cuts down the roasting time to 10 minutes.
Cut the talong into cubes.
Season with salt, garlic powder, black pepper and lots of olive oil.
Mix it all in with your hands and line it up in the airfryer basket making sure none are overlapping.
Set the airfryer to 350F and cook for 10 minutes until nice and soft and golden brown. Meanwhile prepare the eggs by seasoning with salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
Scramble until nice and fluffy. Transfer the roasted talong on to a skillet that you can put into the oven.
Pour over the eggs making sure it gets into all the nook and crannies.
Cook on the stove top for 5 minutes until the bottom starts to cook. Transfer to the oven and finish cooking it for 5 minutes until the egg is set.
Side Dishes
Tortang Talong is perfect with just some rice and fresh tomatoes. I found this new “rice” that is made with vegetables and only takes 12 minutes to cook and those 12 minutes the stove is off. I know… All good.
Kain Na! Let’s Eat
All that is left to do is serve everything family style and eat.
For more healthy Filipino inspired goodness in your life follow along on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest. Or subscribe to get these recipes in your inbox. And if you make this Tortang Talong I would love to see it. Tag your instagram snaps with @rezelkealoha and #rezelkealohaeats.