An Ilocos vegetable dish of eggplant grilled over flame until the skin chars, then peeled, mashed, and scrambled with beaten egg, tomato, and onion. The fire gives the soft flesh a smoky depth; a little bagoong (fermented fish) is the usual seasoning. It is humble home cooking, served with rice or alongside grilled meat and fish.
Poqui-poqui is a home-style egg-and-eggplant dish from the Ilocos region of northwestern Luzon. A widely repeated account links the name to the Hawaiian word poke, meaning to chop or mash, said to have traveled back with Ilocano laborers who worked Hawaii's plantations; this etymology is popular but not firmly documented, so it is best treated as folk history. What is consistent across sources is the method — fire-roasted eggplant mashed and bound with egg — and its place in everyday Ilocano cooking.
Soft and creamy, the mashed eggplant carries a clear smokiness from the char, brightened by sweet-tart bits of tomato. The egg binds it into something between a scramble and a spread; the bagoong adds a salty, savory undertow. Comforting and mild, it leans on smoke rather than spice.
Roasting the eggplant directly over flame does two things: the skin chars so it slips off cleanly, and the flesh collapses while picking up smoke compounds from the fire. Mashing breaks the cooked flesh into a soft pulp that the egg can coat and set around. Tomato is cooked down first to soften and concentrate, so its acidity seasons the whole pan rather than sitting in raw chunks.
Variations
Some cooks use fish sauce in place of bagoong, or add a splash of milk for a richer scramble; chopped chili can be stirred in for heat. The eggplant may be grilled, broiled, or roasted depending on the kitchen.
On the Palate
Where Poqui-Poqui sits in the Filipino flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 3How it's made
7 steps · 15 min
- 110 min
Grill the eggplants over an open flame, turning, until the skin is blackened all over and the flesh is soft.
Watch outGrill the eggplant over open flame until the skin is blackened all over and the flesh collapses — the char is what peels off clean and gives that smoky flavor.
- 23 min
Let the eggplants cool slightly, then peel off the charred skin and discard it.
- 32 min
Roughly mash the smoky flesh with a fork; set aside.
- 45 min
Saute garlic and onion in oil until soft, then add chopped tomato and cook down to a pulp.
- 52 min
Stir in the mashed eggplant and season with bagoong; cook for a minute to combine.
- 63 min
Pour in the beaten eggs and fold gently as they set into a soft scramble.
Watch outFold the beaten eggs in gently as they set into a soft scramble — over-stir and you get dry curds instead of a creamy, custardy mix.
- 71 min
Adjust seasoning and serve hot with steamed rice.
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