Re-torta okra
Ihad lunch with my friend Illustracio this week in a popular karinderia or mom-and-pop diner. We liked the tortang talong (stuffed eggplant) so much I thought it would be good to revisit this simple yet satisfying dish for today’s story
There are two versions of torta in Cebu. One is a kind of cake or a cupcake made with eggs, flour, coconut toddy and sugar. It’s a dessert that is linked with the Municipality of Argao, Cebu. Say torta and Argao pops up in the mind.
Another torta that’s familiar to Cebuanos is the kind Illustracio and I had sometime this week. It is a kind of omelet with the beaten eggs mixed with anything from ground meat, to sliced or minced vegetables or seafood.
To make tortang talong, either boil or grill eggplant until the vegetable is wilted and the skin charred. The grilled version is tastier because the eggplant absorbs the aroma of the hot coal.
It is easy to make the omelet. After grilling the eggplant, peel off the charred skin and don’t remove the stem. Flatten the eggplant with a fork, then dip it in beaten egg seasoned according to taste.
When I got back home, I could not stop thinking of the torta I had for lunch. “Tita Blitte, I had the most wonderful tortang talong version today,” I told my aunt.
“Hmm, was it made with gold or was it worth gold?” she asked. “Wait, let me guess. You ate at a spunky, pricey restaurant,” she said.
“On the contrary, Tita, I had it at a corner karinderia. I want to create a new kind of torta, Tita,” I told her.
“Surprise us, Obz,” Uncle Gustave, my aunt’s husband, said.
That night, I sliced young okra pods diagonally. I seasoned the beaten eggs and added grated garlic, thinly sliced green onions and two tablespoons grated carrot. I added just enough flour to bind the mixture before adding the sliced okra pods.
I fried the omelet by the ladle (a small soup ladle) until golden brown. The sweet chili dip came from a bottle, but the applause I received was certainly not canned.
A torta is described in various websites as a kind of repast that’s either a cake or a flatbread.
It is a culinary creation that can be found in many countries in Europe. But don’t look too far. Japan has its own torta (tamagoyaki) and so does Malaysia (nasi goreng pattaya or stuffed omelete fried rice). And just a stone’s throw away from your home you can find this filling food that goes well with rice or bread.