Mango Habanero Mushrooms
On the islands, we love sweet mangoes, and we love using hot peppers to flavor food. Inspired by these flavors of the Caribbean, these crusted mushrooms are coated in a hot and sweet mango habanero sauce to give a burst of sunshine in every golden bite. Oyster mushrooms are the perfect chicken substitute; their stringy texture and juicy flavors make for a wonderful and similar experience. I could eat this meal countless times!
Greeted by an aroma of sweet vinegar with visuals of a beautiful, glossy sauce that is perfectly layered over golden crust, everything about this meal is divine. I posted a previous version of this recipe to social media, and it went viral with millions of views, over 100,000 likes, over 100,000 saves, and I watched loads of awesome people make and repost this creation. I saw how much it was loved and was surprised; it was a recipe I made on the go while multitasking during a busy day! I knew there were areas for improvement to take it to even higher heights, so now I give you my final version. Enjoy!
Yields2 Servings
Ingredients
- Mango Habanero Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoon (21 g) nondairy butter
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) mango nectar (preferably) or juice
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) habanero hot sauce (less or more depending on your spice tolerance)
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
- Pinch of salt
Dry Batter- 1 1/2 cup (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (50 g) cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon (7 g) paprika
- 1 tablespoon (7 g) onion powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon (4 g) garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet Batter- 1/3 cup (40 g) from the dry batter bowl
- 1 (12-ounces [355-ml]) can unsweetened sparkling water (lemon flavored if possible)
- 10 ounces (280 g) oyster mushrooms or lion’s mane mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed High-heat cooking oil, for frying
INSTRUCTIONS
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In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the nondairy butter, then mix in the mango nectar, habanero hot sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and allow it to continue simmering for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce reaches a glossy consistency. Turn off the heat and allow the mango habanero sauce to cool to room temperature.
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In a bowl, create the dry batter by mixing the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground coriander and salt.
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For the wet batter, add the ⅓ cup (40 g) of the dry batter to a second bowl, then pour just enough sparkling water to form a thin crepe batter. Dip the oyster mushrooms into the wet batter, then coat them evenly with the remaining dry batter.
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Heat the oil in a deep pot to 350°F (175°C). Fry the coated mushrooms in batches until they turn golden brown and crispy, about 3 to 6 minutes per batch. Remove the mushrooms from the oil and toss them up in the mango habanero sauce. To facilitate this, add the fried mushrooms to a large mixing bowl, pour in some sauce and toss up the mushrooms until they are all coated.
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Serve these oyster mushrooms hot with cassava fries, potato fries, rice, salad or coleslaw.
Credit Line:
Reprinted with permission from Island Vegan by Lloyd Rose. Page Street Publishing Co. 2024. Photo credit: Shanika Graham-White.
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