Malanga Tacos Stuffed With Eggplant

TACOS DE MALANGA RELLENAS DE BERENJENA

Posted by Rizzoli Books

About

As much as I love eggplant, my favorite part of this recipe is the malanga taco shell. Using the native Cuban tuber to create hard taco shells is illustrative of how Cuban chefs are playing with traditional Cuban ingredients to create nontraditional Cuban dishes. This is also one of the more creative vegan recipes I’ve seen prepared in a paladar.

Serves 4

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You Will Need (23 things)

  • Eggplant Filling

  • 1 Medium Eggplant (about 1 pound), peeled and cut crosswise into 1-inch slices
  • 1 tbsp Plus 21⁄4 teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • ¼ cup Finely chopped red Bell Pepper
  • ¼ cup Finely chopped yellow Bell Pepper
  • ¼ cup Finely chopped Red Onion
  • 1 tbsp Minced Fresh Ginger
  • ¾ tsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 Habanero Chile , seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 Scallion , thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp Chopped fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley
  • 1 ¼ tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 ¼ tsp Fresh Lime Juice
  • 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 tsp White Sesame Seeds , toasted

  • Malanga Taco Shells

  • 1 large Coco Malanga (purple taro), peeled
  • Vegetable Oil , for frying

  • Special equipment:

  • You will need a taco shell fryer or Taco Press to make this recipe.

Steps (5 steps, 35 minutes)

  1. 1

    Prepare the eggplant filling: Place the sliced eggplant and salt in a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the eggplant turns translucent, 8–10 minutes. Drain the eggplant and place it in a strainer set over a bowl to cool.

  2. 2

    Finely chop the eggplant and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Transfer the filling to the refrigerator to rest for up to 24 hours before frying the tacos.

  3. 3

    Fry the taco shells: Use a mandoline with safety guard to slice the malanga crosswise into 1⁄8-inch-thick slices. If the slices are wider than 4 inches, use a 4-inch round cookie cutter to cut out at least 16 rounds.

  4. 4

    Pour 4 inches of the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium- high heat. When the oil reaches 350oF on a deep-fry thermometer, place a malanga slice in a taco shell fryer or taco press and submerge it in the hot
    oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, remove the taco from the fryer or press and set aside. Repeat with the remaining malanga slices.

  5. 5

    Fill each malanga shell with the eggplant mixture. Serve immediately.