Tag: Philippines

Tortang Talong

23 December 2025

Perhaps you wonder what kind of fish we prepared for this post. Well, actually, it’s Tortang Talong, a Philippine dish made with charred eggplant. Earlier this year we made banana ketchup and the idea was to serve it with Tortang Talong, but we couldn’t find the right eggplants. For Tortang Talong you need long, purple, slender eggplants, known as Chinese or Japanse eggplants. They not only look different from the oblong eggplant, their taste is slightly sweeter and softer. The shape is key to a moist and homogenous result.

Thanks Monch Weller for introducing us to the delectable sauce and the very tasty Tortang Talong!

Food Pairing

Serve Tortang Talong with banana ketchup as a starter. We could also imagine it as a side dish with fried vegetables, rice and perhaps chicken.

What You Need
  • 2 Chinese or Japanese Eggplants
  • 1 Egg
  • Black Pepper
  • (optional) Salt
  • Oil
What You Do
  1. Grill the eggplants for 5-10 minutes using the wire rack, following the instructions of your oven
  2. Flip and grill for another 5-10 minutes or until charred
  3. Let cool
  4. Peel of the skin
  5. Use a fork to flatten the eggplants
  6. Combine egg, salt (if using) and pepper
  7. Beat the mixture well
  8. Heat a heavy iron skillet
  9. Add oil to the skillet
  10. Dip the eggplant in the mixture
  11. Fry the eggplant
  12. Flip and use a brush to coat the top with the egg mixture
  13. Repeat step 12, two or three times

Eggplant Omelette

2 October 2025

Having made Banana Ketchup, we were keen to explore what kind of food would combine well with it. Monch Weller wrote us: It’s often paired with fried food here in the Philippines – spring rolls (both meat and vegetable versions), fried chicken, and eggplant omelette.
The ketchup paired nicely with vegetarian rolls, but not as well as hot sweet and sour sauce.
We decided to make an eggplant omelette, known as Tortang Talong in the Philippines. The eggplant is grilled, peeled, flattened, dipped in an egg mixture and fried in oil. The outside crispy and brown, the inside soft and moist. Best to use the long and slender purple variety, for instance Chinese or Japanese eggplant.
Our eggplant was a standard eggplant, large and oblong. Very different in size and shape compared to the one used in the Philippines. We were not sure how we could turn our eggplant into Tortang Talong. Slice it? Fan it? Or mash it and add the eggplant to the egg mixture?

What You Need
  • 1 regular or Italian Eggplant
  • 2 Eggs
  • Small Garlic Clove
  • Black Pepper
  • (optional) Salt
  • Oil
What You Do
  1. Heat your oven to 230°C or 450°F
  2. Poke the eggplant with a fork. This allows for steam to escape
  3. Place the eggplant on lightly oiled aluminium foil
  4. Roast the eggplant for 30-40 minutes, depending on the size
  5. Let cool
  6. Peel of the skin
  7. Mash the eggplant, but not too much
  8. Combine eggs, salt (if using) and pepper
  9. Beat the mixture well
  10. Add the mashed eggplant. We used 2/3 of our eggplant. Combine
  11. Add grated garlic and mix again
  12. Add oil to a small skillet, set to medium heat
  13. Add the mixture and fry until brown
  14. Flip the omelette and fry the other side until brown
  15. Slice the omelette and serve immediately
  16. Serve with banana ketchup
PS

When we can buy a long slender eggplant, we will prepare the original Tortang Talong. To be continued!

Banana Ketchup was invited in the Philippines. It’s spicy, smooth and flavorful.
Eggplant Omelette ©cadwu combined with banana ketchup

Banana Ketchup

25 September 2025

A few weeks ago we were reading Monch Wellers food and lifestyle blog. He writes about Via Mare, a Filipino restaurant that opened its doors 50 years ago. In his blog Monch writes about the food Via Mare offers, for instance Spanish Hot Chocolate, Bibingka (rice cake), Crab Omelette with Banana Ketchup, Lumpiang Ubod (spring rolls made with heart of palm) and Puto Bumbong, a glutinous rice dyed violet and steamed in bamboo tubes. We learn so much about the Filipino food culture thanks to Monchs excellent blog!

Why Bananas?

Maria Orosa (1893–1945) was born in the Philippian province of Batangas, some 100 kilometres south of Manilla. She studied food chemistry and pharmacology in the US. She returned to the Philippines in 1922. She was a food chemist, innovator and war hero. She saw the potential of many local products, for instance bananas and soy, and used these to empower the Philippines. She invented Soyalac (a protein-rich powdered soybean product), Darák (bran rice powder rich in vitamins) and Tiki-Tiki cookies. The powders and cookies saved many lives during wartime food shortages in the Philippines.
One of her more frivolous inventions is Banana Ketchup. Why rely on imported tomatoes when it’s possible to make an equally tasty condiment using local bananas?

We loved the philosophy behind the ketchup and began searching for recipes. We noticed that tomato paste is often added, to give the ketchup a more familiar and appetizing colour. We didn’t do this. Afterall, the idea was not to use tomatoes. Plus: what’s wrong with the colour?

Food Pairing

The Banana Ketchup is smooth, its taste long, tangy, spicy and uplifting. The bananas give the ketchup natural sweetness and depth. They also support the spices. A condiment to love.
We asked Monch for his favourite combination. He wrote us: It’s often paired with fried food here in the Philippines – spring rolls (both meat and vegetable versions), fried chicken, and eggplant omelette (which was No. 2 in TasteAtlas’ 50 Best Egg Dishes). We tried it with eggplant omelette and vegetable spring rolls. The ketchup paired perfectly with the moist and more delicate flavours of the omelette.
Thanks Monch for introducing us to this unknown, delectable sauce!

What You Need
  • 2 small ripe Bananas
  • ½ Shallot
  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • 20 grams fresh Ginger
  • ½ Kashimiri Pepper
  • 1/8 cup Brown Sugar
  • ¼ cup Rice Vinegar
  • ¼ cup Water
  • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
  • Dash of Cinnamon and Nutmeg plus 1 Clove (replacing dash of All Spice)
  • Oil
What You Do
  1. Chop onion, garlic and ginger
  2. Mash the bananas
  3. Heat oil in a heavy iron skillet
  4. Add chopped onion and glaze, about 5 minutes
  5. Add garlic and ginger
  6. Leave on medium heat, stirring constantly
  7. Add bananas and combine
  8. After a few minutes add vinegar, water, sugar, spices and Kashmiri pepper
  9. When the mixture begins to simmer, reduce heat to low
  10. Leave for 15-20 minutes, stir regularly
  11. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes
  12. Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. This may take one or two minutes
  13. Pass through a sieve to get the right velvety smoothness
  14. Leave to cool before transferring the ketchup to the refrigerator
  15. Serve with eggplant omelette (recipe next week!)
  16. The ketchup will remain tasty for up to 3 days.
PS

In general, we find tomato ketchup too sweet, too salty and bland. Have we ever considered making our own tomato ketchup? No, we haven’t. We’re okay with a small bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup Zero, in case we have an irresistible craving for ketchup. Heinz doesn’t add sugar and salt to the Zero Ketchup. They add more tomatoes than usual (great) and a sweetener (pity). The taste? Well, still typically tomato ketchup. Fortunately, Banana Ketchup has far more flavour, spiciness and complexity.

Maria Orosa bust and plaque at the Historical Park, Philippines © Ramon F Velasquez
Banana Ketchup was invited in the Philippines. It’s spicy, smooth and flavorful.
Eggplant Omelette ©cadwu combined with banana ketchup