Vegan Air fried Portabello Mushroom and Eggplant wraps
Things to note:
Buying and storing portabello mushrooms: When buying portabello mushrooms, look for ones that are firm and have a smooth cap. Avoid the ones that are slimy, bruised, shriveled up, or moldy smelly mushrooms, as these are signs that they are not good to eat.
When storing portabello mushrooms, keep them in a paper bag in the fridge. They should last about a week this way. If you’re not planning on using them within a week, you can also freeze them. Just make sure to wrap them tightly in plastic before putting them in the freezer.
Buying and storing aubergine/eggplant: When buying aubergine/eggplant, look for aubergine/eggplant that is heavy for its size and has shiny, smooth skin. Avoid aubergines/eggplants with bruises or dull skin, as this is a sign that it’s damaged inside. It’s also good to feel how firm the aubergine/eggplant is. Ideally, it should be slightly firm but not hard because when it is hard, it is not ripe yet to be eaten. Lastly, have a look at the stem to see if it is green, as brown stems indicate that it has been harvested for some time and is not fresh anymore.
Regarding taste, the smaller to medium-sized aubergine/eggplants are less bitter than the bigger ones.
The best ways to store aubergine/eggplant at room temperature or in the fridge. When storing them at room temperature, they must be whole and placed inside a paper bag. The paper bag should be left open to allow airflow. The room needs to be cool and dry with no direct sunlight. They can be stored for less than a week using this method.
Place the aubergine/eggplant in the crisper compartment in the fridge. If they are cut up, you would need to wrap them in paper towels to keep out the moisture and put them in a plastic bag. Do not seal the plastic bag to allow airflow. This method should store the aubergine/eggplant for a week.
Preparation:
Portabello mushrooms should only be washed and sliced just before cooking as they will turn brown when left out for a long time without being cooked. To clean them, simply place them in a bowl and fill them with cold water. Then use your hands to rub them so that any dirt is removed gently. Where there is dirt in the grooves, you can use a soft brush to remove the dirt. Then rinse them under cold water.
Preparation of the aubergine/eggplant should be done just before cooking as the flesh turns brown when left out for a long time without cooking. Rinse the aubergine/eggplant in cold water. Cut off the stem and the cap. Then slice lengthwise in ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) slices. Larger aubergines/eggplants may be bitter, so soaking them in salt water for 30 minutes would reduce the bitterness. However, smaller ones do not require to be soaked.
Some tips for cooking portobello mushrooms and aubergines/eggplants in an air fryer:
- As the portabello mushrooms releases quite a lot of liquid, it is recommended to use a silicone air fryer liner pot. This will ensure that the liquid is not leaked to the bottom of your air fryer, making it messy. It also allows you to lift out the silicone pot with the mushrooms easily. Alternatively, you could use baking paper like how I did, but you need to make sure that the baking paper is weighted down with the mushrooms so that it cannot flap around during cooking.
- Mushrooms cook quickly when sliced, so it is ok to layer them on top of each other in this recipe. However, ensure that they do not fill up more than half the height of the air fryer basket.
- Lay the aubergine/eggplant strips in single layers to allow them to be cooked evenly.
Serving Suggestions:
- Kale, quinoa, almond, and pomegranate seed salad. Toss these ingredients with your favorite lemon salad dressing.
- Citrus salad. Try tossing together some orange slices, with some rocket leaves and sliced red onions in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Drizzle with some pine nuts.
- Avocado and fennel salad with lime juice.
- Air-fried potato slices and pea salad. Drizzle with some lemon juice.
Vegan Air fried Portabello Mushroom and Aubergine/Eggplant wraps
Equipment
- 2 Large bowl
- Air Fryer
- Non-scratch tongs
- Silicon Liner Pot (recommended)
Ingredients
- 375 grams (13.23 ounces) Portobello mushrooms (around 6 mushrooms)
- 1 medium-sized Aubergine/Eggplant
- 5 cloves of Garlic (diced)
- 2 tablespoons Italian herbs
- 5 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
- 1 branch of Scallion (cut into thin rings)
- 6 medium Wraps
- Hummus
- 1 tin Chickpeas
- Bottled Bell Peppers
- Olive Oil
- Avocado Oil Spray
- Black Pepper
Instructions
- Clean and slice portabello mushrooms and aubergine/eggplant as per the preparation instructions above.
- Marinate the aubergine/eggplant in a large bowl with one tablespoon of oyster sauce and one tablespoon of Italian herbs, sprinkle some black pepper and mix it all together. Place these strips in the air fryer basket in a single layer. Spray with some avocado oil spray.
- Set the air fryer to 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) and 12 minutes. Place the air fryer basket/ tray in the air fryer with the aubergine/eggplant.
- Mixed the sliced portabello mushrooms in a large bowl with one tablespoon of oyster sauce, one tablespoon of Italian herbs, the scallion rings, and the diced garlic. Dizzle with olive oil and black pepper.
- Once the aubergine/eggplant strips are ready, take them out of the air fryer and place them on a plate.
- Line the basket with baking paper or a silicone liner pot. Place the portabello mushroom slices on top of the liner.
- Set the air fryer to 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) and 6 minutes. Place the portabello mushroom slices into the air fryer.
- When the portabello mushroom slices are cooked, take out the air fryer basket and place the aubergine/eggplant slices into the air fryer basket. Then set the air fryer to 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) and 3 minutes and place the air fryer basket back in the air fryer.
- Spread some humus on the wraps. When the portabello mushrooms and aubergine/eggplant is ready, take them out of the air fryer. Then layer them onto of the hummus with some chickpeas and bell peppers. Roll the ingredients in the wrap, and it is ready to be served with your favorite salad. See our serving suggestions above if you want to try something new.
