Sometimes, there are just days when you want something simple and hearty. None of the fancy schmancy imported ingredients, super complicated cooking techniques, or cute little faces cut out from nori.
One of these dishes that’s so unassuming is Tortang Talong or eggplant frittata. A pork and potato sauté set on peeled grilled eggplants and drizzled with scrambled egg, this is one dish I can’t cook. I know how to, I’ve been instructed numerous times but it’s like my brain frizzles each time and I end up just waiting for the dish to be presented to me. I love the savory blend of flavorful pork (sautéed in garlic and plum tomatoes) and mealy potatoes mixing with the slippery eggplant, crusted all around with scrambled egg that has fried.
It’s one dish I can enjoy repeatedly. I simply reheat the leftovers in the microwave and eat happily. A little mouthful of joy contrasting my big appetite. Of course I always eat it with freshly steamed rice. It makes a perfect combination and can’t live without the other. For this particular meal, I added some quartered apples and lychee jelly but honestly, just the torta and rice would’ve made me very happy.
Ah, tortang talong. Simple. Unassuming. But full of hearty satisfaction. For me at least. What about you? What dish don’t you mind eating repeatedly?
I love tortang talong too. Okay eaten alone but also good when paired with almost anything!
lol…. I can eat tortang talong everyday. And noodles.
YUM! i love tortang talong <3
I wouldn’t mind eating bistek everyday…
I wouldn’t mind eating corned beef with cabbage and potatoes. It’s so nice and hearty and yummy.
But truly, anything with fresh rice makes me very happy. =3 With something chocolatey for dessert (but I think that would make ANYBODY very happy everyday).
I’ll ask Ate S to make me tortang talong tomorrow. I like eating mine with lots of ketchup. Yummy
(Since I’m on a diet, I won’t be eating it with rice. Sniff…)
weee! i love tortang talong too esp if its paired w/ knorr seasoning and tomatoes! yumm yumm!
I heart tortang talong, but without the meat. Talong and egg lang!
ooohh tortang talong, yummy! same here I enjoy tortang talong a lot, but my mom cooks the eggplant only with the eggs (sans the meat and potato) comfort food!
i have not tried eggplant fritata but my mum always make a similar version where she uses potato.
@Em Dy, Mi, Kuroii, Mrs. G and dyanie
We should form a Tortang Talong Lovers club!
@Suzanne
I wouldn’t make it everyday but maybe every other day for Bistek. (for Health reasons!) Especially with lots of onions and fried potatoes. YUM!
@Luney
Hahaha, confession, I’m not a big chocolate fan. In fact, I wouldn’t want to eat chocolate on a daily basis. We have slabs of chocolate in the fridge, mostly ignored until I get a craving. It’s only recently that I’m going nuts over chocolate and it’s mostly just a few selected brands too—Royce and (in an upcoming post) MeltyKiss. That plus my old favorites, plain Hershey’s and Andes Creme de Menthe but it’s mostly just when I get a craving.
@Mrs. G again
Kaya mo yun? No rice with tortang talong? *worships* Your self-control is a thing of legend!
@toni and kreez
Growing up, I always thought that tortang talong was automatically done our way. Imagine my surprise (more like shock) when I ordered tortang talong from Gerry’s Grill and found it meat-free. Dun ko nalaman, not all tortang talong are the same!
@renaye
Oh! We make that too! We call torta, minus the talong (eggplant) part. When we’re out of eggplant or when we have more pork and potato mix than eggplants, we turn the rest into plain tortas. Still really yummy but I still prefer the eggplant version. But it’s perfect for people who hate eggplants (like my boyfriend. *rolls eyes*)
Tortang Talong with toyo at kalamansi dip for me! Yum!
Mmm…simple and delicious *__* The description of tortang talong sounds lovely..
Hmm, something don’t mind eating day after day? Japanese curry is one <3 And of course pasta, mmm chocolate and nem nuong. The latter you can have with fresh rice or just on its own.. mmmm…It’s pork skewers which are bit salty but simply lovely..
@Liz Tolentino
Interesting ha, everyone’s all going ketchup. Will try yours next time.
@surrealistic
Oh! Japanese curry is also addictive for me. And Nem Nuong sounds like our local barbecue. It’s great with rice too so I can imagine why you love it. <3
I haven’t gotten the opportunity to try many foods from the phillipines. My mom cooked american, and while I loveher cooking, I can make these myself and they don’t hold the magic of a food I could eat everyday. However, japenese foods, in particular sushi, is food I could easily eat everyday.
What’s your ethnic background? Are you purely American through and through?
Filipino cuisine is not as popular as other Asian cuisines, which is a pity since it’s mostly flavorful food with Spanish influences.
And about Japanese food, hehe, like you, I can eat Japanese food everyday! It’s one of my favorite cuisines, other than Filipino.
yep american, hotdogs and meatloaf, roast with potatoes every sunday… *yawn*
I actually have a filipino cookbook, but I haven’t taken a look through. I also have a book called Asia, and it covers the phillipines as well as china, japan, even india , skrilanka, and Laos. I love this book.