HELLO KINILAW!

I love to eat eggplant especially if it was dipped on egg then fried or what we commonly called “tortang talong”. However, if it was cooked the other way, I can’t bear to grab a spoon and taste it. I have never eaten the eggplant in “pinakbet” and any other dishes. I am a kind of person that hates to taste foods that are not pleasing to “my” eyes and nose. In fact, that is one of the biggest problems of my parents in terms on deciding what viand to serve. 

            But recently, I have discovered another way of cooking an eggplant. My best friend here in Miagao introduced to me the dish which they called “kinilaw nga tarung”. I never heard and seen such dish in Aklan or perhaps there is but I just never cared knowing it is not fried. I don’t know where this dish came from. All I know is that Miagaowanons are fond of eating this dish.  

For the first time, I wanted to know what “kinilaw nga tarung” tastes like. I set aside the thinking that eggplant only tastes best as “torta”. When my tongue touched the food, I then realized what made this dish special. There is sweetness and salty taste on it thus; the texture of the food is so soft. The eggplant easily melted on my mouth since it was mashed firmly.

Because of curiosity, I decided to make one for myself. This is my firsthand experience in doing the “kinilaw nga tarung” since I always ask someone to make one for me. The directions are easy to follow and the budget is very friendly on your pockets. 

First thing to do is to prepare the ingredients namely: eggplant, tomatoes, onions, vinegar, sugar and seasonings. 

Roast the eggplant until it is soft enough to peel. After peeling, mash the eggplant and place in a clean plate. 

Next, slice the tomatoes and onions and mix it in the mashed eggplant. Don’t put too many tomatoes and onions whereas consider the ratio 2:1:1 (2 eggplant is to 1 tomato and 1 onion) though this may vary according to the size of the eggplant. 

 

Add vinegar and sugar together with seasonings. Adjust the taste according to your preference. Mix all the ingredients then serve. 

  

 In just following these simple steps you can already have “kinilaw nga tarung”. In fact, in three eggplants you can already serve it to 5 people. Imagine in just Ᵽ50.00 you can already have “kinilaw nga tarung” to serve on your family or share with your friends. Indeed, very convenient and budget friendly right?

I recommend this dish to people out there who wanted not only to save money but at the same time eat something delicious.