Description
Crispy Chili Garlic Mushroom is a flavorful Asian-inspired vegetarian appetizer featuring golden, crispy mushrooms tossed in a spicy, tangy chili garlic sauce. Perfectly fried to a crunchy texture and coated with a vibrant sauce made from garlic, ginger, chili garlic sauce, soy, and rice vinegar, this dish is best served fresh and hot, garnished with sliced green onions for an extra dimension of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Mushrooms and Coating
- 16 ounces button mushrooms or oyster mushrooms, cleaned and halved
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Oil for frying (enough to deep fry)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
- 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water (cornstarch slurry)
- Sliced green onions for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Mushrooms: Pat the mushrooms completely dry to ensure crispiness. In a bowl, mix together cornstarch, all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Toss the mushrooms in this dry mixture, coating them evenly on all sides.
- Fry Mushrooms: Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Fry the coated mushrooms in batches for 3 to 4 minutes until they turn golden brown and crispy. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Make Sauce: In a separate skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add finely chopped garlic and ginger, sautéing for about 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and water. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Thicken Sauce: Add the prepared cornstarch slurry to the sauce while stirring continuously. Cook for another minute or until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Combine and Garnish: Quickly add the crispy fried mushrooms to the sauce and toss to coat them evenly. Remove from heat and garnish with sliced green onions if desired. Serve immediately to enjoy the perfect crispy texture and spicy flavor.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, double fry the mushrooms by frying them a second time for 1 minute after they have rested.
- Adjust the amount of chili garlic sauce to control the heat level according to your preference.
- This dish is best served fresh and hot to maintain the crisp texture of the mushrooms.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Side Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
