Chilli Garlic Mushroom Recipe

Clean and prepare mushrooms

Wipe the button mushrooms with a damp cloth or paper towel to remove dirt. Trim stems if needed. If mushrooms are large, halve or quarter them so pieces are roughly bite-sized.

Marinate

Place mushrooms in a bowl. Add 2 tbs cornstarch, 1 tbs light soy sauce, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Toss until mushrooms are evenly coated. Let sit 10 minutes so the cornstarch adheres (this helps a light glossy coating when cooked).

Prepare sauce mix

In a small bowl combine 2 tbs red chilli sauce, 1 tbs tomato ketchup, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sugar and 4 tbs water. Stir to dissolve sugar and set aside. In a separate small cup mix 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbs cold water to form a slurry; set aside.

Sauté aromatics

Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 3 tbs vegetable oil. Once hot, add the finely minced garlic (6 cloves) and minced ginger (if using) and sauté 20–30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add sliced green chillies and the white parts of the spring onions; stir-fry 30 seconds.

Increase heat to high. Add the marinated mushrooms in a single layer (work in batches if pan is crowded). Let mushrooms sear undisturbed for about 2 minutes to get a bit of color, then toss and cook another 2–3 minutes until they release moisture and are mostly cooked through. If they release a lot of liquid, continue cooking until most liquid evaporates and mushrooms are glossy.

Push mushrooms to one side of the pan. Pour the prepared sauce over the mushrooms and quickly toss to coat. Let sauce simmer 30–45 seconds to warm through.

Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pan while stirring constantly. Cook 30–60 seconds until sauce thickens and becomes glossy, coating the mushrooms. If sauce becomes too thick, add up to 1–2 tbs water to loosen.

Turn off heat. Drizzle 1 tsp sesame oil over the mushrooms and toss. Add the green parts of the sliced spring onions and adjust seasoning: add more salt or ½ tsp soy sauce if needed, and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with extra sliced spring onion greens. Serve hot as an appetizer or with steamed rice or noodles.