Poqui poqui — Philippines

Poqui poqui is a scrambled egg dish built on roasted eggplant, mashed and folded together with sautéed garlic, onion and tomato, then bound with beaten egg into a soft, savory mixture. It belongs to the wider family of Filipino eggplant dishes alongside tortang talong. The dish is reported from the Ilocos region of northwestern Luzon, in the Philippines, where it is served as a main course with steamed rice or as an accompaniment to grilled meat or fish, and where fermented fish sauce is a defining pantry staple. To prepare it, whole eggplants are roasted or grilled directly over flame until the skin blisters and the flesh softens, then peeled and mashed. Garlic, onion and tomato are sautéed, the mashed eggplant is stirred in, seasoned with fermented fish sauce, and beaten eggs are folded through and gently scrambled until just set. Within the family of Filipino eggplant preparations, this version is set apart from tortang talong by its texture and method: rather than being dipped in egg and pan-fried as a whole omelet, the roasted eggplant here is mashed first and scrambled loosely with the egg, giving a softer, creamier result seasoned with fish sauce rather than salt or soy sauce. Households vary the ratio of egg to eggplant and the smokiness of the roast.