Berenjena: Different kind of eggplant recipe other than Tortang Talong

MANILA, Philippines — Talk about eggplants and the first dish that comes to mind is Tortang Talong — that delightful vegetable dish that has the eggplants grilled first, its charred skin peeled off, then flattened with a fork, dipped in beaten egg — sometimes with tomatoes and ground meat — and pan-fried.

But, delicious as Tortang Talong may be, must eggplants always end up becoming Tortang Talong?

Of course not!

There is a Spanish eggplant dish that we Filipinos must learn to cook, and it is called Berenjenas.

Chef Waya Araos-Wijangco, the talented chef behind Gypsy Gourmet Art Café, which is now thriving in the City of Pines at Gypsy Baguio by Chef Waya, cooks up a really good Berenjenas.

She believes that not only is it a scrumptious vegetable dish to indulge in; it is also easy and fun to cook. No need for stiff measurements of ingredients. All you need to know is the method and you’re on your way to an exciting — and different! — kind of eggplant dish.

Here is how she cooks the dish:
Chef Waya Araos-Wijangco’s Berenjenas

Ingredients:

Eggplants

Water

Salt

Tapioca flour

All-purpose flour

Cooking oil for deep-frying

Honey

Grana Padano cheese

Chili flakes

Procedure:

1. Slice eggplant thinly with a mandolin. Soak in salted water for 10 minutes.

2. Pat-dry. Dredge in a combination of tapioca flour and all-purpose flour. Deep-fry in hot oil until crispy.

3. Remove from oil and drain off excess oil on paper towels.

4. Arrange on plate and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle cheese and chili flakes on top.