Eggplant Salad (Ensaladang Talong)

Eggplant Salad or Ensaladang Talong is a simple Filipino Salad composed of grilled eggplant, tomatoes, and onions. This is eaten as a side dish and is best if partnered with grilled dishes such as inihaw na baboy or grilled pork belly. It can also be eaten along with fried dishes. I personally enjoy having this as a side dish for  crispy fried pork belly known as lechon kawali.

Ensaladang talong is also good for crispy pata in some occasions where atcharang papaya is not available.

This side dish is easy and quick to prepare. It only took me around 10 minutes to complete dish. Eggplants are traditionally grilled until cooked. This makes the skin easier to peel-off. Instead of grilling t, I directly placed it on top of the stove and applied heat directly until the outer layer turns black. This saved me time. Don’t worry if the skin of the eggplant burns, this is likely to happen when direct heat is applied. What’s important is that you exercise caution. Keep an eye on the eggplant while doing this procedure.

When you’re done with the eggplant, everything should be a breeze. All you need to do is peel the skin of the eggplant, chop the remaining vegetables, and mix all the ingredients together – you should be enjoying your eggplant salad in no time.

I like eating this with grilled fish along with lemon and soy sauce dip. The acidity of the vinegar (and lemon from the dip) reduces the fishy taste of any seafood. I remember eating this salad with some grilled fish using a cut of banana leaf as my plate. It was such a wonderful experience.

How to Make Eggplant Salad or Ensaladang Talong

Making an eggplant salad is straightforward. As mentioned earlier, the eggplant needs to be prepared first. The time depends on the method used. Grilling the eggplant over charcoal will take around 10 minutes. However, placing it over direct fire such as on top of the stove will only take 5 minutes.

You will need to peel the skin off the eggplant afterwards and mash it using a fork.

The next step is to combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Make sure that the ingredients are chopped or sliced beforehand. Toss to ensure that all ingredients are well distributed. Topping eggplant salad with bagoong alamang helps provide additional flavors.

I tried having this with inihaw na bangus and the pairing was wonderful. What foods do you usually eat eggplant salad with? Try this Ensaladang Talong Recipe. Let me know what you think.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!

5 from 1 vote

Eggplant Salad

Ensaladang Talong or Eggplant Salad is a Filipino side dish composed of cooked mashed eggplant, fresh tomato, and onion with vinegar. Bagoong can be added for additional flavor. This makes a great side for grilled and fried dishes. 

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 pieces Chinese eggplant
• ▢ 2 pieces tomato
• ▢ 1 piece onion
• ▢ ¾ cup vinegar white
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons shrimp paste bagoong

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Instructions

• Grill the eggplant (or cook directly on stove top)
• Peel the skin, cut the stem, and mash lightly using a fork.
• Cube the tomatoes and onion.
• Combine the chopped tomatoes, onion, mashed eggplant, salt, ground black pepper, and vinegar then toss to mix the ingredients.
• Top with shrimp paste.
• Serve. Share and Enjoy

Nutrition Information

Serving: 3g Calories: 58kcal (3%) Carbohydrates: 3g (1%) Protein: 8g (16%) Cholesterol: 114mg (38%) Sodium: 742mg (31%) Potassium: 53mg (2%) Sugar: 1g (1%) Vitamin C: 2.7mg (3%) Calcium: 52mg (5%) Iron: 0.8mg (4%)

© copyright: Vanjo Merano