Last updated on May 19th, 2024 at 10:46 am
Ensaladang talong is a Filipino grilled eggplant salad. It is a dish bursting in flavour with creamy roasted eggplant with juicy tomato and onion dressed with soy sauce, vinegar and pepper.
Ensaladang talong is a favourite Filipino salad.
Filipino salads are most commonly known as ensalada meaning salad.
Grilled eggplant salad is best served together with the rest of the meal.
Serve along fried and grilled dishes and almost always with rice.
This is a very basic dish made at home.
I am going way back, years ago when I was little this recipe is whipped up very quickly.
We had eggplant plants from time to time and the fresh fruit of its plant is best used for ensaladang talong.
What is ensaladang talong?
Ensaladang talong is a vegetable salad made out of grilled eggplant, chopped tomatoes, onion and dressed with a tart dressing.
The eggplant is grilled over open fire.
Peeled. While some people prefer to chop the vegetable others prefer the vegetable served whole.
At home we normally use fermented fish or fish sauce to season this dish but salt or soy sauce works perfectly as well.
Pour the dressing over. And it is ready.
Ingredients needed to make grilled eggplant salad
- medium eggplant – Chinese eggplant
- onion – yellow and red or shallots
- tomato – small one
- chili – omit to make it child friendly or if you are not a big fan of chilies
- ginger – adds more punch
- vinegar – any, substitute with lime
- soy sauce – use salt, fish sauce or fermented fish (bagoong)
- ground black pepper – add more for heat if not adding chili
How to make Filipino eggplant salad?
Basically, you poke holes in the eggplant with a fork.
Cook it over the flame on the gas cooker.
Turn until all sides are cooked.
Leave to cool a little as we do not have asbestos hands.
Cover with a plate.
While waiting for the eggplant, prepare the tomato, onion, chili and garlic.
Then peel the eggplant then chop as desired.
Place all ingredients in a bowl.
Add the soy sauce, vinegar and pepper.
Taste and season as needed.
Enjoy!
What to serve with ensaladang talong?
Serve with grilled and fried dishes.
And do not forget the rice.
Try serving ensaladang talong with battered fish and you are in for a surprise.
Is this a kid-friendly dish?
Yes, make this kid-friendly by not adding chilies.
Throw in the less spicy kind of chili.
Add more ground black pepper for some heat.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes, I make this with soy sauce which is vegan.
In this recipe I used soy sauce which works.
Season according to taste as always.
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Ensaladang Talong
Equipment
- fork
- 2 plates
- 1 bowl
- 1 spoon
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 small tomato diced
- 1/4 medium onion diced
- 1/4 inch ginger minced
- 1 chili sliced
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- Poke holes in the eggplant with a fork.
- Lay it directly over the flame on the gas cooker.
- Turn from time to time to cook all sides of the eggplant.
- Place the grilled vegetable on a plate then cover.
- Let cool for a couple of minutes.
- Chop the tomatoes and onion.
- Mince the ginger.
- Slice the chili.
- Peel the eggplant.
- If desired, chop the eggplant. Place in a bowl.
- Place the remaining vegetables in the bowl with the eggplant in.
- Add the vinegar, soy sauce and black pepper.
- Mix until well combined.
- Taste and season as needed.
- Serve and enjoy.
English
High five for recreating the taste of ensaladang talong from our homeland.
Many thanks and high five.
I understand that you do not have the bagoong and appreciate you give us an idea to use soy sauce or other available seasonings. Made me want to eat grilled eggplant now.
Thank you for your comment on our ensaladang talong recipe adapted to the ingredients where we live. Hope you enjoy your grilled eggplant dish.
I was curious about this recipe as it is vegan but swapping the soy sauce with fish sauce made it extra special. Something was missing with adding soy sauce only but if you don’t like or not have fish sauce it is quite good too.
Yes, we normally use fish sauce called bagoong but when soy sauce is the only choice it is possible. You just have to accept that the taste would be slightly different but by all means use fish sauce when you can when making ensaladang talong. Thank you for your comment.
Definitely make the grilled talong with gata your daughter will like it because it is sweet.
I have to try ensaladang talong with coconut milk. Thank you.
I will try to add coconut milk to our next ensaladang talong, thank you for the suggestion.
Soy sauce works too how surprising but it does not taste the same when you use fermented fish.
Ensaladang talong with soy sauce works as long as you don’t expect it to taste like when fermented fish is used.
Yes, soy sauce works as long as you don’t expect the dish to taste the same as when you use fermented fish. Does the job for ensaladang talong and meal sorted too.
This is my favorite accompaniment for fried or grilled pork belly.
You are right this goes very well with fried and grilled food. Thank you for your comment on ensalang talong.
Favorite side dish with pork belly. Make with vinegar or lemon very nice. Love from France
I am craving for pork belly now, crispy pork belly to be exact to go with ensaladang talong. I agree that vinegar and lemon for the dressing is nice. Thank you for your comment.
I always make it with fish sauce if bagoong is not available and eat with fried fish. Yum
We got to do what we got to do when we want something like ensaladang talong or any food from home. We adapt with the ingredients that we could find from our host countries. This balances the richness of fish and meat, yes, yum.
Favorite side dish of all time
I must say it is one of the preferred side dishes or main dishes too.
Not as delicious as made with fish sauce but it is true you can make it with soy sauce. The smoky taste from grilling the eggplant makes the dish delicious and eat with fried or grilled meat or fish.
The smoky flavor of char-grilled eggplant is incomparable. I agree it goes perfectly well with fried and or grilled protein and with fish sauce in the dressing.
Approved recipe thank you
That is kind of you. Thank you for the approval of the ensaladang talong recipe.
Favorite because it is delicious and smells I want that dish,
Pleased here that this is a favourite dish of yours, one simple ensaldang talong makes the day most of the time, right?
I like your version of ensaladang talong tried it.
Thank you for giving ensaladang talong a try.
Masarap na madali gawin
Tama po kayo, napakadali na masarap pa
Masrap kapartner ng piniritong isda.
Tama po kayo masarap kasama ng piniritong isda pantanggal ng suya. Try nyo rin po yun labanos.
Masarap at madaling recipe. Naisip ko lang gumawa kasi may talong na.
Simple lang pero masarap na dish ang ensaladang talong.