Meat-free Monday: Gochujang mushroom bowls
Gochujang mushroom bowls with sticky rice and cucumber salad features sweet and sour mushrooms, pickled cucumbers, carrots, and sushi rice.
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Looking for a quick and easy meal that packs a punch of flavour? Look no further than gochujang mushroom bowls with sticky rice and cucumber salad!
Each bowl is loaded with savoury mushrooms coated in a spicy gochujang sauce, served over a bed of sticky rice, and topped with a refreshing cucumber salad. The combination of flavours and textures in this dish is simply irresistible. Plus, it’s easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner or a healthy lunch option. So why wait? Give this gochujang mushroom bowl by the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association a try today and spice up your meal routine!
Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 25 mins | Cuisine: Asian | Servings: 4
Ingredients
Sticky rice:
- 2 cups sushi rice
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 125 ml rice vinegar
Cucumber salad:
- 2 medium sized Mediterranean cucumbers
- 2 large pinches sea salt
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced
- 4 cm piece of ginger, peeled and diced
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 2 tsp black vinegar
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Gochujang mushrooms:
- 2 tbsp gochujang paste
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp grated garlic
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 400 g large brown mushrooms, sliced
- Sesame oil, for frying
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Radish slices, for garnish
- Spring onion slivers, for garnish
- Lime cheeks, for serving
Method
For the sticky rice:
- Place rice in a mesh strainer and rinse with cold running water, until water runs clear.
- Drain and pour rice into pot with 2 cups water.
- Bring rice to a boil.
- Cover and turn the heat down to as low as possible.
- Cook for 10 minutes. Switch off the heat and leave covered for 15 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, dissolve the sugar and salt in the rice vinegar over a low flame.
- Pour mixture over the cooked rice and fold gently with a wooden spoon.
(Tip: Dip the wooden spoon in water to prevent the rice from sticking.)
For the cucumber salad:
- Slice the cucumbers longways into quarter strips and remove the seeds.
- Slice on the bias into chunks.
- Place in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with salt.
- Allow the salt to draw out the moisture from the cucumbers.
- Rinse and pat dry.
- Place cucumbers in a bowl and add the chilli, ginger, garlic, vinegar, honey and sesame oil.
- Toss to coat. Place in the fridge until serving.
For the mushrooms:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang paste, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic and ginger.
- Heat a large non-stick frying pan on high heat.
- Add a light drizzle of sesame oil to the pan and the sliced mushrooms.
- Cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and turn golden brown.
- Drizzle over some gochujang sauce and toss until the mushrooms are saucy and tender.
- Taste to adjust seasoning.
To assemble the bowls:
- Plate some sticky rice on the bottom and top with a few generous spoonfuls of saucy spicy gochujang mushrooms. Spoon some cucumber salad to the side and finish with sesame seeds, radish slices and spring onions.
- Serve with a chunky cheek of lime and enjoy!
Pairing suggestion:
Pair with a Jack Black Atlantic Weiss Beer.