Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelet)

June 3: National Egg Day

Islander’s Daddy grows eggplants in the backyard of their house in Hawaii and then sometimes Mommy makes them into omelets. Tortang talong is a simple Filipino dish that Islander’s family ate most often during Lent Fridays when abstaining from meat. Islander also makes these omelets for an easy meal occasionally when she can find the specific type of eggplants at a few mainland grocery stores.

The eggplants used for tortang talong are the long, slender Asian style vegetables (although they really are classified as fruits/berries) and not the rounder, plump variety. Combining eggplants with eggs double the deliciousness of this dish, especially on National Egg Day!

Recipe

(From Mommy and Daddy)

Ingredients

• eggplants (long, Asian style)
• eggs (2 eggs per eggplant)
• salt and pepper to taste
• vegetable oil or cooking spray

Directions

Wash and dry the eggplants. Pierce the eggplants all over with the tines of a fork.  Grill or broil the eggplants until lightly charred and soft (at least 15 minutes).

Cool before peeling off the skins of the cooked eggplants, leaving the stems intact. Spread out on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Pour over the eggplant.

Heat a pan with oil or cooking spray. Carefully place the soaked eggplant in the pan, spreading it out, and pour the beaten eggs over it. Cook over medium-high heat until the sides of the omelet begin to solidify. Use a spatula to turn the eggplant omelet over and continue cooking until brown. Cook the other omelets, adding a little more oil or cooking spray as necessary.  Transfer the eggplant omelets to a plate. Serve hot with rice.

Notes

• Egg substitutes (such as Egg Beaters brand) may replace real eggs in this recipe.
• Salamat (thanks) to Daddy for being our guest chef for this eggplant omelet blog post.
• May is also National Egg Month. Search our blog for more egg recipes.