Tortang Talong

I had the privilege to write a blog post for my friend Danielle's blog Same Thread. Every week they have a Meatless Monday recipe to share with their followers. They also discuss various ways of conscious living and crafting a stylish and ethical lifestyle in everything from fashion to travel. Stay tuned for my post this Monday! Yayyy!

I decided to make Tortang Talong and replaced giniling (ground beef) with vegetables. I had fun making this and my friend Vicky was amazing to help me take these amazing photos used for this post. You can check out more of her photography and writing here.

Here's my version of this delicious dish.

You’ll need (serves 2):

4 Japanese eggplants

3 eggs, beaten

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 medium sized onion, minced

1 medium sized tomato, minced

½ bell pepper (whatever color you prefer), minced

1 jalapeno, minced (optional)

4 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.      Broil, grill or boil eggplant until tender not mushy.

2.      Let the eggplant cool off then peel off the skin.

3.      On a flat surface, flatten the eggplant using a fork keeping everything including the stem intact.

4.      Whisk eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

5.      Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet.

6.      Sauté garlic and onions. Once the onion is translucent, add tomatoes, bell pepper and jalapenos. Set aside.

7.      Dip the flattened eggplant into the egg mixture.

8.      Heat up pan and pour the oil.

9.      Place an eggplant (that was dipped into the egg) into the skillet, add some of the sautéed veggies on top (make sure to spread them out a so that the eggplant remains flat) and add a little egg mixture on top of it.

10.  Make sure both sides are cooked. Frying time will take you about 4-5 minutes per side on medium heat.

Serve hot with rice and enjoy!