Chinese Mushroom In Spicy Sauce
Here’s a simple dish that you can make for the main course, whenever you are having a Chinese special party at home. Chinese Mushroom In A Spicy Sauce base is vegan and loaded with umaminess. It uses all the basic ingredients that usually go in Chinese cooking and you can stir it up in no time. Whenever you don’t want to have mushrooms, you can use any other vegetables or even tofu in this recipe.
About Chinese Mushroom Recipe
This Chinese Mushroom recipe is not that fiery as it may seem to you. The sauce in this has a medium heat level in it which can be relished by one and all.
If you are someone who can’t tolerate spicy food at all, you can still go easy on the chili elements in this recipe.
The main ingredients in this dish are obviously white button mushrooms and soy sauce. I have used a naturally brewed soy sauce for the gravy. You can use whatever you have at home.
Along with these, other regular ingredients in this recipe are scallions or spring onions, garlic, ginger and other spices.
Chinese Mushroom is naturally a vegan recipe. To turn it into a gluten-free version, use a gluten free soy sauce for the gravy. This dish also is low on carbs and sugar. Thus, makes for a hearty meal.
Since, mushrooms pair really well with garlic, this is definitely a winner recipe. I usually make this saucy dish as an accompaniment with the Chili Garlic Noodles, which takes the entire experience of having it to another level. These noodles are also just perfect with the Chinese Mushroom In Spicy Sauce.
Other dishes that these moderately spicy saucy mushrooms go great with are Veg Noodles, Hakka Noodles and the Chow Mein too. If you are not in the mood to have noodles with it, you can enjoy it with any fragrant rice like steamed basmati rice or even jasmine rice.
If you like mushrooms, you can find some delicious recipes that I have shared in this collection of Mushroom Recipes.
How to make Chinese Mushroom
Prep and Sauté Ingredients
1. Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water to make a smooth and fine slurry or paste. Set aside.
Also, rinse and chop 200 grams white button mushrooms. Chop the spring onions, garlic and ginger too.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil (regular or toasted) in a pan or wok.
Add 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic and 1 to 1.5 teaspoons finely chopped ginger. Sauté on a medium heat for half a minute.
3. Then, add 3 tablespoons chopped or finely chopped spring onion whites. Sauté for a minute.
4. Next, add 1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped celery. Celery is optional and you can skip it.
5. Add ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper or pepper powder and 2 crushed Sichuan peppers.
Crush both ¼ teaspoon black pepper and 2 Sichuan peppers in a mortar-pestle.
Stir and mix well with the rest of the mixture. If you do not have Sichuan pepper, skip them.
6. Now, add sliced or chopped white button mushrooms.
7. Sauté the mushrooms on medium heat.
8. First the mushrooms will release a lot of water. Continue to sauté till all the water dries up and the mushrooms are cooked well.
Make Chinese Mushrooms
9. Then, add 1 tablespoon naturally brewed soy sauce. For a gluten-free version, use gluten free soy sauce.
10. Next, add 2 teaspoons red chili sauce or red chili paste. Red chili paste would make the sauce spicier. You can add both soy sauce and chili sauce as per your taste.
11. Mix very well.
12. Pour ⅔ to ¾ cup vegetable stock or water. Stir and mix well.
13. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar. Stir well to mix.
14. Then, add the prepared cornstarch paste.
15. Mix very well after you add the cornstarch paste.
16. Bring the sauce to a simmer on medium heat, then add salt. Add less salt as soy sauce and chilli sauce already have salt in them.
17. Mix very well and continue to simmer for some minutes until the sauce thickens.
18. Switch off the heat. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped spring onion greens, ½ teaspoon rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon rice wine (optional).
19. Give a quick mix and serve the Chinese Mushrooms with your preferred fried rice, stir fried noodles or chow mein. It also pairs well with a simple steamed basmati rice or jasmine rice.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
- 200 grams white button mushrooms – chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil – regular or toasted
- 2 teaspoons garlic – finely chopped
- 1 to 1.5 teaspoons ginger – finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons spring onion whites – chopped (scallions) or 3 tbsp finely chopped onions
- 1 to 2 teaspoons celery – finely chopped, optional
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce – naturally brewed, add as required
- 2 teaspoons red chili sauce or red chili paste or add as required, can also add sriracha sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns or ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper or ground pepper
- 2 sichuan peppers – crushed lightly in a mortar-pestle, optional
- ⅔ to ¾ cup Vegetable Stock – water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon rice vinegar or regular vinegar
- 1 teaspoon rice wine – optional
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoon spring onion greens – chopped, (scallion greens)
- salt as required
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse or wipe dry the mushrooms. Chop them and keep aside.
- Chop the spring onions, garlic, ginger.
- Crush the sichuan pepper and black pepper in a mortar-pestle.
- Dissolve 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoon water to a fine, smooth paste or slurry. Keep aside.
Making Chinese Mushrooms
- Heat sesame oil in a frying pan or wok. Add finely chopped garlic and finely chopped ginger. Sauté on a medium heat for half a minute.
- Then add chopped spring onion whites or finely chopped onions. Sauté for a minute on medium heat.
- Next finely chopped celery. Celery is optional and you can skip it.
- Now add crushed black pepper or pepper powder and the crushed sichuan pepper. Stir and mix well with the rest of the mixture.
- Next add sliced or chopped white button mushrooms.
- Sauté the mushrooms on a medium heat.
- First the mushrooms would release a lot of water. Continue to saute till all the water dries up and the mushrooms are cooked well.
- Then add the naturally brewed soy sauce. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free soy sauce.
- Next add red chilli sauce or red chili paste. Red chilli paste would make the sauce more spicy. You can add both the soy sauce and chilli sauce as per your taste. Mix very well.
- Pour ⅔ to ¾ cup of vegetable stock or water.
- Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar. Stir and mix well.
- Then add the cornstarch paste or slurry.
- Stir and mix very well after you add the cornstarch paste.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer on medium heat. Then add salt. Add less salt as soy sauce and chilli sauce already has salt in them.
- Mix very well and continue to simmer for some minutes till the sauce thickens.
- Switch off the heat and lastly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the spring onion greens, ½ teaspoon rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon rice wine (optional).
- Give a quick stir and serve this spicy Chinese Mushrooms with fried rice, stir fried noodles, hakka noodles or chowmein. It also pairs well with steamed rice.
Notes
- Instead of button mushrooms, use cremini or shiitake mushrooms.
- Easily adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding less or more of the vegetable stock or water.
- For a more spicier taste, increase the red chili sauce.
- Instead of scallions or spring onions, use regular onions or shallots.
- Vegetable stock adds a lot of flavor to the sauce. If you do not have it, you can use water instead.
- The recipe is easily scaleable to make for more servings.
Nutrition
This Chinese Mushrooms recipe from the archives, originally published in December 2015 has been updated and republished on January 2023.
marvellous recipe!
but i hv a doubt….can i add schezwan sauce instead of chili sauce?
thanks radhika. yes you can add.
I tried today ginger garlic and I love it owsum and tastey. Very easy to make because of this amazing website. Thank you dassana amit.
welcome santosh pleased to know this thank you for your positive views 🙂
Do you have a cooking book? i really love your recepies
thanks jessica. not yet.
Last night I tried this at home, it was so easy to prepare because in your blog your describe each step with images. I had tasted it once in my friends home. Every body likes it including me also. Thanks to you only.
thanks and welcome.
Dassana, your recipes are all excellent. I use a lot of them especially when we have guests visiting. I have 1 question for this recipe – what is the difference between the regular ordinary soya sauce we find in the market and the naturally fermented soya sauce? When I go to buy Soya sauce should I specifically ask for naturally fermented soy sauce? Thanks a lot!
monica naturally fermented soya sauce is more healthier as the regular ordinary soya sauce has a lot of mixing just check the label back. hope this help’s you 🙂
This is so awesome. . Just when I was looking to cook a Chinese recipe you posted this one \m/
I always look at your recipes and cook at home.. Thankyou so much .. you have become my virtual cooking guide. . I can write a list of dishes that I have copied from you.. you are just amazing .. hats off to your passion and efforts!
very pleased to know this varsha 🙂 thankyou for your kind words.
just…f a n t a s t i c….
thankyou mahen 🙂