Rellenong Talong (Stuffed Eggplant)

Called Rellenong Talong in the Philippines, this dish looks like an omelette but it's actually the Filipino version of stuffed eggplant. Unlike that of other cuisines where the eggplant is basically cut into half and then hollowed out and the eggplant flesh is cooked with the other filling ingredients, the Filipino stuffed eggplant is cooked differently. First, the eggplant is grilled then the skin is peeled off and after that, it is soaked in beaten egg, filled with meat mixture and then cooked like an omelette. There's another dish called "Tortang Talong" which is actually the Filipino eggplant omelette. The difference is that after grilling and peeling off the skin, the eggplant is just soaked in egg and cooked without the filling. Some steam the eggplant instead of grilling it, but I personally prefer the latter because of the added flavor that grilling brings and because grilled eggplant turns out less watery and mushy.

Rellenong Talong is one of my youngest daughter's favorite. Just like me and the hubs, she loves it with banana ketchup! Like the Rellenong Tahong, Rellenong Alimasag, Rellenong Pusit and Rellenong Okra that I have featured here on the blog before, Rellenong Talong is a bit time consuming to prepare, but I tell yah, it's all worth it! Definitely a must try!

Ingredients:

• 4 Chinese Eggplants (the long and more cylindrical in shape, with smooth purple calyx and skin)
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 medium sized sweet onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
• ½ green bell pepper, diced
• 1½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large eggs, beaten with ½tsp of salt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Canola or Vegetable oil for frying

*eggs not shown in photo

Instructions:

1. Grill the eggplants for about 5 minutes on each side or until soft when touched and the skin starts charring. Remove from heat and allow to cool down. Peel the skin off each eggplant and set aside.

2. Prepare the filling. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute garlic in olive oil until light brown. Add tomatoes and onion and saute until soft. Add ground pork and saute until there's no more pink showing. Season with salt and pepper. Continue sauteing until tender. Add bell pepper and saute for another 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet with paper towel to clean.

3. Heat up 1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil in the skillet over medium heat. Dip an eggplant in the beaten egg mixture. Put in the heated skillet. Using a fork, flatten the eggplant. Scoop about ¼ of the filling into the eggplant and distribute well. Scoop about 3-4 Tbsp beaten egg over the filling. Cook for about 2 minutes. Egg will ooze out, just keep folding it back to the eggplant. Gently flip the eggplant. Cook the other side for about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat the process until you cook all the eggplants. Serve with steamed rice and banana ketchup.

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