Name: Smoky Tortang Talong Burger
Ingredients: 6 eggplants; ½ cup cashews; 1 red onion; 4 garlic cloves; 2 siling labuyo; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 10 sundried tomato; 1 potato; 1 cup coriander leaves (wansoy); 2 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 5 tbsp all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 ripe mangoes; 1 small roasted red bell pepper; 1 siling labuyo; 1 red onion; ½ cup coriander leaves; juice of 6 calamansi; 1 tbsp olive oil; ½ tsp salt; 8 toasted burger buns; curly lettuce leaves; quezo de bola slices

Talong Patties

Char the eggplants on an open flame on high heat. Allow the eggplants to cool completely, once cooled remove as much of the skin as possible and remove the stem. Roughly chop the eggplant then set it aside.

In a pan over medium heat sauté the onion, garlic, and chili in olive oil. Cook until the onions are translucent.

Add the tomato paste and smoked paprika into the pan and continue to cook for around two minutes. When done set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add the chopped eggplants, chopped nuts, cooked aromatics, sundried tomatoes, steamed-grated potato, and coriander. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Mix to combine. The mixture should be chunky and rough.

Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour onto the mixture and continue to mix and bind the ingredients. If the mixture is still too sticky, add an additional 1-2tbsps of all-purpose flour.

Form burger patties and shallow fry on medium-low heat until browned on both sides. As the burger mix is sticky, shape them and immediately place them in the pan to start cooking. When done remove from the pan and set aside.

Mango Salsa

Mix all ingredients together. For best results refrigerate for at least an hour for the flavors to mingle.

Assembly

Place curly leaf lettuce on top of a toasted burger bun. Next, add the burger patty then some slices of queso de bola. Finally a spoonful of the mango salsa then top with the top burger bun. Serve immediately.