Chinese Eggplants are distinguished from other varieties by its color and size – usually dark lavender, long, and thin. They are sweeter and more tender than regular eggplants.
Their skin is generally left on since its thinner and more pleasant tasting, thus preserving its texture, taste, and shape.
This variety is abundant in Southeast Asia and can be found in a number of dishes – stir fried, stewed, fried, grilled, braised, baked! A simple, everyday meal of my childhood however is grilled, coated in egg, sometimes with but mostly without ground meat.
This recipe is usually a side dish, but the addition of ground beef makes it filling enough to be eaten as a main dish! For additional good fat, serve with a simple guac (avocado, salt, cilantro, and lime is all you need.)
Yields 3 servings of Keto Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelette with Ground Beef)
The Preparation
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
- 3 pieces Chinese eggplant*
- 500 g ground beef
- 3 large eggs
- 1 stalk green onions, thinly sliced on bias
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 small plum tomato, diced and seeded
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 3 teaspoons crushed pork rinds
* Chinese Eggplants are readily available in Asian markets, lately I’ve seen some available in Whole Foods, and Wegmans.
The Execution
1. Broil or grill eggplant on high until the skin is soft to the touch and browned throughout. Remove from grill and set aside.
2. In a bowl beat the egg then set aside.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Saute scallions, garlic, and tomato until aromatic.
5. Add oregano, cumin, coriander, paprika, and salt.
6. Cook the spices until the oil is infused with flavor, fragrant, and almost paste-like.
7. Add ground beef. Cook until just about but barely cooked – as soon as majority of the meat is no longer pink, remove from the pan and set aside.
8. Make a slit in the middle of the eggplant, running down its length. Push open to create a pocket.
9. Using a fork, flatten and widen the sides. You want the eggplant to resemble a canoe.
10. Using the same skillet (from cooking the ground beef), melt another tablespoon of coconut oil. Lay out one eggplant and spoon a third of the beef mixture into the pocket.
11. Pour (or spoon) a third of the beaten egg onto the beef. You want enough egg to cover the meat with egg. Push towards the middle any egg that spills over the eggplant. Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro.
12. Cover with a lid to set the eggs. Alternatively, you may tilt the pan and scoop the oil onto the egg/beef mixture to cook the eggs. Add more coconut oil as needed.
13. Carefully and gently flip the eggplant, make sure to keep the egg/beef mixture in place. Continue to cook, approximately one minute.
14. When the eggs are cooked and golden, flip and transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining two eggplants. To serve, sprinkle with ground pork rinds and more chopped cilantro.
This makes 3 servings of Keto Tortang Talong. Each serving comes out to be 711.946 Calories, 57.14 g Fats, 6.32g Net Carbs, and 37.55g Protein.
| Keto Tortang Talong | Calories | Fats(g) | Carbs(g) | Fiber(g) | Net Carbs(g) | Protein(g) |
| 4 tablespoons coconut oil | 485 | 53.89 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 pieces (425 g) Chinese eggplant | 106 | 0.77 | 24.99 | 12.8 | 12.19 | 4.17 |
| 500 g ground beef | 1270 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85.85 |
| 3 large eggs | 214 | 14.27 | 1.08 | 0 | 1.08 | 18.84 |
| 1 stalk (12 g) green onions | 3 | 0.06 | 0.69 | 0.2 | 0.49 | 0.12 |
| 1 clove garlic | 4 | 0.01 | 0.99 | 0.1 | 0.89 | 0.19 |
| 1 small (62 g) plum tomato | 11 | 0.12 | 2.41 | 0.7 | 1.71 | 0.55 |
| 1 teaspoon dried oregano | 5 | 0.08 | 1.24 | 0.08 | 1.16 | 0.16 |
| 1 teaspoon ground cumin | 8 | 0.47 | 0.93 | 0.2 | 0.73 | 0.37 |
| 1 teaspoon ground coriander | 5 | 0.32 | 0.99 | 0.8 | 0.19 | 0.22 |
| 1 teaspoon ground paprika | 6 | 0.3 | 1.24 | 0.8 | 0.44 | 0.33 |
| 1/3 cup chopped cilantro | 1 | 0.03 | 0.19 | 0.1 | 0.09 | 0.11 |
| 3 teaspoons crushed pork rinds | 17.82 | 1.11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.73 |
| Totals | 2135.82 | 171.43 | 34.75 | 15.78 | 18.97 | 112.64 |
| Per Serving(/3) | 711.94 | 57.14 | 11.58 | 5.26 | 6.32 | 37.55 |
* Chinese Eggplants are readily available in Asian markets, lately I’ve seen some available in Whole Foods, and Wegmans.
This makes 3 servings of Keto Tortang Talong. Each serving comes out to be 711.946 Calories, 57.14 g Fats, 6.32g Net Carbs, and 37.55g Protein.
The Preparation
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
- 3 pieces Chinese eggplant*
- 500 g ground beef
- 3 large eggs
- 1 stalk green onions, thinly sliced on bias
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 small plum tomato, diced and seeded
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 3 teaspoons crushed pork rinds
The Execution
- Broil or grill eggplant on high until the skin is soft to the touch and browned throughout. Remove from grill and set aside.
- In a bowl beat the egg then set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Saute scallions, garlic, and tomato until aromatic.
- Add oregano, cumin, coriander, paprika, and salt.
- Cook the spices until the oil is infused with flavor, fragrant, and almost paste-like.
- Add ground beef. Cook until just about but barely cooked - as soon as majority of the meat is no longer pink, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Make a slit in the middle of the eggplant, running down its length. Push open to create a pocket.
- Using a fork, flatten and widen the sides. You want the eggplant to resemble a canoe.
- Using the same skillet (from cooking the ground beef), melt another tablespoon of coconut oil. Lay out one eggplant and spoon a third of the beef mixture into the pocket.
- Pour (or spoon) a third of the beaten egg onto the beef. You want enough egg to cover the meat with egg. Push towards the middle any egg that spills over the eggplant. Sprinkle with some chopped cilantro.
- Cover with a lid to set the eggs. Alternatively, you may tilt the pan and scoop the oil onto the egg/beef mixture to cook the eggs. Add more coconut oil as needed.
- Carefully and gently flip the eggplant, make sure to keep the egg/beef mixture in place. Continue to cook, approximately one minute.
- When the eggs are cooked and golden, flip and transfer to a platter. Repeat with the remaining two eggplants.
- To serve, sprinkle with ground pork rinds and more chopped cilantro.
