Oyster Mushroom Curry
ok. i made this for the second time tonight and it turned out really well so i want to share. its not hard to make (cutting up the mushrooms takes a bit of time tho) and its really flavorful.
i didn't invent this recipe i just changed it a bit to have mushrooms. the original (chicken) recipe is here and i've made it many times and its delicious!!
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/chicken-curry/
ingredients:
- oyster mushrooms.
superstore usually has 3 different types: regular oyster, black oyster, and baby king oyster. it doesn't really matter which kind you use, i usually use a combination. the regular and black ones are super soft but the baby kings have a slightly more leathery texture and dont soften up as much as the others when they're cooking. they're all really good though
- button cremini mushrooms
kinda optional because if you just wanted to use oysters it would still be good, but every time i've made it i've used some of these. they have a similar texture as the baby king oysters.
- coconut milk
full fat is best imo but half fat works too, just won't be as creamy
- yellow curry powder
if u can get real curry powder from somewhere it makes a big difference. if not the grocery store stuff is still good
- cayenne pepper (optional)
note: i generally find one can of coconut milk is enough for 2 packs of oyster mushrooms. tonight i made it with 2 cans and 4 packs of mushrooms. creminis come in huge packages though so i kinda just eyeball how much of them i want to use.
ok first dice your onion and garlic and ginger and set them aside. then slice up the mushrooms. this part takes the longest BY FAR. the regular and black oysters are super soft so you can basically just pull them apart by hand, but the baby kings and the creminis will have to be cut up. since they don't soften up as easily as the others, i tend to slice them pretty thin. the baby kings i slice into long noodly pieces.
heat up some oil in a BIG pan. something with high edges is best. when its hot put in the onion + garlic + ginger and cook it for a few minutes until its mostly translucent.
add about a teaspoon of red curry paste and stir it around. i usually don't measure it and just put a couple scoops in. i really don't measure most of my spices in this so if you want more precise measurements look at the chicken version that i linked above.
add the mushrooms to the pan. fill up a glass of water like 1 inch and pour that in so the hot water + steam softens the mushrooms a bit. it also helps to break down the curry paste so it spreads around better. stir it around and you'll notice the mushrooms start to soften, keep stirring it every so often until the water is mostly evaporated.
at this point i add in my yellow curry powder. i actually have no idea how much i put in, i literally just shake the jar over the pan until it looks like how much i want. if i had to guess i would say like somewhere between 2-4 tablespoons. i also add one or two shakes of cayenne.
add the coconut milk and stir. bring it up to a gentle boil and just basically stir it every few minutes to make sure nothing is sticking. once it starts to reduce a bit, taste the sauce and make sure you added enough curry powder.
add some salt. personally i don't like a lot of salt so i add it very slowly and continually taste it to decide if i want more.
let it bubble gently for like 20-25 minutes, stirring every so often. the mushrooms should be soft and the sauce should be pretty creamy/thick. you can keep cooking it longer if you want it a bit thicker
once it's just about done, add in the final touches: about a tablespoon of brown sugar, a generous squirt of lime juice, and a teaspoon(ish) of fish sauce. the brown sugar makes a HUGE difference!! one time i forgot it and it was not nearly as good. the lime juice is also important. you can probably skip the fish sauce if you want but it is a nice touch.
turn the heat to low and let it cook for another couple minutes. right before i add the brown sugar i usually set a pot of water to boil to make rice, and then by the time the rice is cooked the curry is done (about 6-7 mins). i usually do minute rice when i make this because the timing works out so well, but ofc using good quality rice would probably be better.
AND THAT'S IT. scoop that shit over ur rice and enjoy. it is so creamy and heavenly.