ramyaramesh3007These spicy, juicy Korean Fried ‘Chicken’ is made with lion’s mane mushrooms and a sweet & savoury korean inspired sauce.
I first had Korean Fried Chicken at a korean restaurant close to where we used to go to college – their Budae Jjigae (Army Stew) and soy korean chicken was one of our must-order dishes. Since I like spicier flavours, I’ve been trying to recreate a vegan version made with mushrooms.
The texture of lion’s mane mushrooms does an impressive job in replicating the texture of chicken, with the fattiness and tearable layers of the fungi. This delightful twist on the classic Korean Fried Chicken takes these umami-rich mushrooms to new heights, delivering a crunchy exterior with a burst of Korean-inspired gochujang sauce.
I personally like to eat this as it is because it’s so spicy and flavourful on its own. Another idea would be to slice them and add them as fillings to sandwiches and wraps for a delicious and healthy plant-based meal.
A key ingredient to making the sauce is gochujang: Gochujang is a Korean fermented red chilli paste with a spicy and sweet flavour. I use a vegan version in all of my korean-inspired recipes – Vegan Tofu & Mushroom Bulgogi, Army Stew, Sundubu Jjigae, & this Creamy Gochujang Rose Pasta.
What Do I Need?
- lion’s mane mushrooms – you can also replicate this recipe with oyster mushrooms.
- all-purpose flour – substitute with gluten free if required
- corn starch – to add crispiness
- spices – smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper
- salt & black pepper
- kfc sauce – gochujang, sesame oil, ketchup, maple syrup, white vinegar, soy sauce
- neutral oil for frying
Korean Fried ‘Chicken’
Ingredients
- 300 g lion's mane mushrooms
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup oat milk add more to get a thick batter
Sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 stalks scallions white part
- 1 clove diced garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1.5 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- splash of water
Garnish
- scallions green part
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Clean and trim the lion's mane mushrooms, removing any tough stems. Break apart the mushrooms into small, sizeable chunks.
- In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the batter – flour, corn starch, spices, salt and black pepper. Mix together with whisk.
- Add oat milk slowly to the batter until you get a thick and smooth batter (not too thick and not runny).
- Heat oil in a pan and make sure there's enough oil for the mushrooms to be fully submerged.
- Coat the mushrooms in the batter and carefully place into oil. The oil must immediately start sizzling.
- Keep a close eye and fry mushrooms until golden brown. As you're frying all the mushrooms, you can start on the sauce.
- To a separate pan, add sesame oil and heat up. Add the white part of scallions and saute.
- Then add sliced garlic and minced ginger. Saute until aromatic.
- Add gochujang, ketchup, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and maple syrup. Add a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
- Add the fried mushrooms back in and serve immediately with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Enjoy!