The eggplant mushroom style is a vegetable side dish, particularly made with eggplants, originating from the Campania tradition (in Naples they are called “mulignane a fungetiello”). It’s a very simple dish prepared with very few ingredients, but it has an amazing taste and, above all, it can be used not only as a side dish, but also as a pasta sauce (perhaps topped with some excellent marzotica ricotta), to enrich bruschetta and frise or to top pizzas and savory pies.
Why are they called eggplant mushroom style? Eggplants prepared this way are called “mushroom style” (or eggplants mushroom style) because they are diced with the skin on and, after cooking, their appearance resembles mushrooms. There is also another version regarding the origin of the name of these eggplants: they are said to take this name because mushrooms are prepared with the same seasoning.
Preparing them is really simple: eggplant mushroom style is a summer side dish that can also be prepared in advance and will accompany your meals, enriching them with flavor. They are perfect for accompanying meals based on meat, but also and above all fresh cheeses and dairy products.
There is also a white or light version of this side dish, in which the eggplants are baked in the oven. However, the recipe I am about to propose is the classic one with fried eggplants.
If you love vegetable-based side dishes in the summer, I can’t help but recommend the Puglian-style zucchini alla poverella, grilled marinated eggplants, eggplant cutlets or the delicious eggplants in oil!
Well, let’s move on to the recipe and see together how to prepare this delicious summer side dish!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Campania
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 146.46 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 6.69 (g) of which sugars 5.35 (g)
- Proteins 1.11 (g)
- Fat 13.42 (g) of which saturated 1.46 (g)of which unsaturated 9.51 (g)
- Fibers 2.36 (g)
- Sodium 475.86 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients to prepare eggplant mushroom style
- 21.16 oz eggplant
- 10.58 oz cherry tomatoes (or pachino or datterini)
- 2 cloves garlic
- as needed sunflower oil (for frying)
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- as needed basil
- as needed fine salt
- as needed coarse salt
Tools to prepare eggplant mushroom style
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Absorbent paper
- Frying pan
- Slotted spoon
Steps to prepare eggplant mushroom style
Let’s see together how to prepare this delicious traditional Neapolitan side dish.
Trim the eggplant and slice it approximately 0.39 inches thick. Place them in a colander with coarse salt and put a weight on top: this way, the vegetation water will be eliminated, and the eggplants will be much sweeter, losing their bitter taste. Let them rest for about an hour. After this time, thoroughly remove the salt, pat them dry with kitchen paper or a cotton cloth, and cut them into chunks of roughly the same size.
Remember, in eggplant mushroom style, the skin should not be removed.
Heat some seed oil in a pan, and when it has reached the temperature (the ideal for frying is 338°F), add the eggplant chunks a few at a time, without overlapping them. Fry them in multiple batches if necessary, but the key is that the oil is hot and you fry in plenty of oil to prevent the eggplants from absorbing too much and becoming greasy.
When golden, drain them with a slotted spoon and let them cool on absorbent paper.
Continue this way until all the eggplants are used up.
Allow the eggplants to cool, and in the meantime, prepare the sauce with the cherry tomatoes.
Cut the cherry tomatoes into pieces, then brown the two garlic cloves in a pan with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. When golden, remove the garlic cloves and add the tomatoes to the pan. Add some basil leaves and a bit of salt, and cook over high heat for about 10 minutes.
Finally, add the fried eggplants and some more torn basil leaves, and let them season for a few minutes. Adjust salt.
Eggplant mushroom style can be served hot, warm or at room temperature, but letting them rest for an hour or two after preparation will make them even more flavorful!
Storage and Tips
– Eggplant mushroom style can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator in a well-sealed container. Just leave them at room temperature for an hour before consuming.
– Eggplant mushroom style can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator in a well-sealed container. Just leave them at room temperature for an hour before consuming.
