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Kulawong Talong: Eggplant in Burnt Coconut Cream

In this heirloom Filipino recipe for Kulawong Talong - Eggplant in Burnt Coconut Cream, the sweet coconut milk and flakes burnt to a perfection. Start with a base of broiled eggplants. Pour the creamy coconut milk that has a toasty aroma to it, infused with garlic and shallots. Top it with the fresh salad of bitter melons, nectarines, cucumbers, tomatoes. Serve with grilled dishes or as a meal in itself. This recipe was from the "Memories of Philippine Kitchens" Cookbook by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan. Serves 4 as a side dish.
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Vegetables
Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino
Keyword: Filipino Kulawong Talong Coconut Eggplant
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 293kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 packages (16 ounces each) frozen grated coconut available in Asian markets
  • 1 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 cups canned coconut milk
  • 5 cloves garlic peeled, minced
  • 1 knob (1-inch piece) fresh ginger peeled; sliced in julienne strips
  • 8 whole Asian eggplants or use 1-2 large Aubergines
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sliced ampalaya (bitter melon) thinly sliced, seeded (found in Asian markets); seeded, white membrane removed
  • 1 whole small cucumber peeled, seeded, sliced
  • 6 pieces cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in halves
  • 2 whole nectarines cut into thick slices

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.
    To prepare the coconut: Mix the defrosted coconut with the rice vinegar. Knead by hand to extract as much cream from the coconut as possible. Wrap this coconut-vinegar mixture in cheesecloth and squeeze the coconut milk into a bowl, till all the milk has been extracted. You should have approximately 2 1/2 cups of liquid. Set the extracted coconut milk aside.
  • Spread the squeezed, grated coconut on a large baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 12 to 15 minutes or till dark brown. *Note: I had to check on it and by the 10th minute it was very dark brown in my hot oven.
    Turn the tray around for even browning. Slightly char the coconut, but be careful not to burn. Keep  turning the tray around.
  • Separately, in a saucepan, combine the extracted coconut milk, half of the pan of burnt coconut, the canned coconut milk, garlic, ginger, shallots. Bring to a quick boil, then lower the heat to a slow simmer for 10 minutes.  Stir well so the bottom does not burn.
  • To prepare the eggplants: Place the eggplants under a broiler. Broil until the skin is charred and the interior is soft, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
    When done, remove from broiler and cool on the counter for 10 minutes till they are easy to handle.
    . When cool enough, peel the eggplants using a fork or serrated knife. When peeled, spread the eggplant and flatten the flesh. Season with salt.
  • Arrange the eggplants on a dish and pour the warm burnt coconut cream over them.
  • Top with Chef Romy Dorotan's Bitter Melon and Nectarine Salad : Spread the sliced bitter melon or "ampalaya" over the cheesecloth or heavy paper towels. Rub with sea salt and squeeze the juices out. Sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together the cucumber, tomatoes, nectarines. Stir in the bitter melon or "ampalaya". Sprinkle with more lemon juice and sea salt to taste before serving on top of the eggplant with burnt coconut cream.
  • Serve hot or cold, both ways is a terrific side to any grilled dish or is good as a meal in itself.
  • Cook's comments: Leftover burnt coconut cream can be used for a future Adobo recipe, as the cookbook authors suggested. Also any leftover bitter melon can be stir fried with garlic, onions, and vegetables like green beans and squash, suggests Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan in the cookbook "Memories of Philippine Kitchens" (updated/revised version 2012).

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Sodium: 601mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg