Sometimes when I don’t want to eat meat, mushrooms and tofu are my go-to options for a meat-free but still tasty meal. Mushrooms are commonly used in China to replace meat in a dish, most probably because of its unique umami, which is a savoury taste found in meat among other things.
In this authentic Chinese recipe, we’re going to make a super yummy mushroom dish with water chestnuts and oyster sauce.
Fried Mushrooms In Oyster Sauce (Air Fryer Version)
Course: SidesCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes30
minutesThis authentic Chinese recipe shows you how to make fried mushrooms in oyster sauce. It’s a meat alternative dish that’s full of flavour.
Ingredients
- Main Ingredients
Celery 200g
Large flat mushrooms 200 g
Canned water chestnuts x 1
Ginger 3g
Garlic 10g
- Oyster Sauce
Oyster Sauce 3 tbs
Water 3 tbs
Sugar 1 tsp
- Mushroom Batter
Water 20g
Large egg x 1
Plain four 40g
Olive oil 3g
Salt 1g
Baking soda 1 g
Black pepper ¼ tsp
Directions
- Add all batter ingredients in a bowl and mix well, then set it aside.
- Cut the large flat mushrooms into finger-sized strips. Use a kitchen towel to absorb excess liquid from the mushrooms.
- Heat up a cup of vegetable oil in a saucepan. Dip the mushroom strips into the batter, let the excess batter drip back into the bowl and gently place it in the hot oil to fry.
- Wait until both sides harden, take the mushrooms out and place them in your air fryer. Set the air fryer to 190 °C for 15 mins. Give it a good shake or two in the middle of the cooking process.
- While the mushrooms are cooking in the air fryer, let’s cut vegetables and mix the oyster sauce. Cut the celery into small pieces.
- Finely slice the garlic and ginger.
- Mix 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, 3 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of sugar well, and set aside.
- Warm up a cooking pot first, then add 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable oil, and wait until the oil is heated.
- Add the chopped celery in, and let it cook for 2 mins. Place on a plate.
- Warm up a cooking pot first, then add 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil, and wait until the oil is heated. Add the finely chopped garlic and ginger in and let them cook for 1 minute (If you don’t like the taste of ginger, please feel free to pick all the ginger out at the end of this step).
- Add the water chestnuts in and let them cook for a further 1 minute.
- Gently pour in the mixed oyster sauce, and let it boil. Add our nicely fried mushrooms from the air fryer into the pot and mix well. Let it all cook for 1 minute while stirring gently.
- Place the mushrooms and chestnuts on top of the celery and serve.
Try It Yourself
And there you have it! These authentic Chinese fried mushrooms in oyster sauce are great if you’re vegan or simply want to take a break from meat. They’re also perfect as a side dish. Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments. We’re also around to answer any questions you may have. Remember to also follow us on Instagram for more delicious Chinese food photos.
