Name: Crushed Tokwa and Talong Stir-fry
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 small red onion; 2 garlic; 1 1-inch ginger; 2 siling labuyo; 4 lemongrass roots; 1 tsp hibe; 4 tbsp brown sugar; ¼ cup water; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 calamansi; 3 tbsp sesame oil; ¼ cup cooking oil; 2 tokwa; 5 eggplants

Make paste

Using a mortar and pestle pound the red onions, garlic, ginger, siling labuyo, and lemongrass and hibe into a paste. Set aside.

Fry tokwa and eggplant

In a non-stick pan on medium heat, pour oil and then add the crushed tokwa and let it fry and crisp up before taking it out of the pan to set aside. Dry the eggplant halves and then place it in the pan to fry for about 5 -6 minutes. Once pan-roasted, take out of the pan. Set aside.

Add paste

Using the same pan, pour in the paste and stir fry for about 3-5 minutes or until aromatic. Add the brown sugar water and the soy sauce and calamansi juice and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Drizzle with sesame oil

Pour in the fried tokwa and eggplant, drizzle with sesame oil and turn off the heat.