Masala Fried Oyster Mushrooms

These Masala Fried Oyster Mushrooms have a super crispy coating made with an epic spiced seasoning mix. Perfect for a vegan crispy snack.

Crispy spiced mushrooms are one of my obsessions. I love anything to do with mushrooms and these have to be one of the best iterations of fried mushrooms I’ve ever made.

These Masala Fried Oyster Mushrooms will satisfy your comfort cravings. I highly recommend giving these a go!

Masala Fried Oyster Mushrooms

Tender oyster mushrooms coated in a crispy, spiced seasoned breading and fried till golden perfection. Served with a vegan green chutney (coriander chutney) mayonnaise. It’s perfect for a snack, appetiser, or even a game-night dish.

We’re seasoning the breading mixture with some pantry staple Indian spices which takes these fried oyster mushrooms to another level. The result isn’t spicy but it is well spiced with a lot of warmth and a lot of flavour.

These Masala Fried Oyster Mushrooms are also being served with a VEGAN green chutney mayonnaise! Also known as coriander chutney mayonnaise. It’s been a staple mayonnaise recipe I’ve been making for years and even served this on my menus whilst I was a private chef.

What are oyster mushrooms?

Oyster mushrooms are a species of mushroom also known as Pleurotus Ostreatus. They’re quite a delicate variety with a lovely pull-apart texture.

They have a mild flavour and a buttery, velvety texture once cooked. They also grow in clusters and can vary in colour from off-white to grey. Oyster mushrooms have an almost fan like shape with ‘gills’ on the underside.

What are fried oyster mushrooms?

Fried oyster mushrooms are essentially just oyster mushrooms that have been dredged and deep fried. Imagine the crispy coating on fried chicken, but mushrooms rather than chicken.

It’s a totally vegan treat that’s delicious and highlights the texture of oyster mushrooms. Also, as the mushrooms have quite a mild flavour, they carry the flavour of the seasoned crispy coating really well.

The spiced crispy coating here is EVERYTHING

These Masala Fried Oyster Mushrooms have flavour in abundance. And that all comes down to the addition of spices within the flour coating.

We’re using common Indian spices to inject warmth and depth into these fried mushrooms. These spices won’t make the mushrooms spicy, they’re still relatively mild in terms of heat.

The fried mushrooms are also finished with mango powder after they’ve been fried which adds just a touch of sourness to balance all the warmth.

Green chutney mayonnaise/Coriander chutney mayonnaise

This is vegan mayonnaise that encapsulates all the flavours of a classic green coriander chutney. This chutney is an integral part of the Indian cuisine and is often served as an accompaniment to fried dishes and snacks. It has the flavours of coriander (cilantro), green chilli, ginger, garlic, and a zing of lemon.

This was a staple condiment on my menu whilst I was a private chef. I served it alongside fried starters and in my bao dishes. The green chutney mayo would also work really well with my Crispy Chilli Panko Mushrooms, Spicy Ghee Roast Potatoes, and especially my Chilli Cheese Garlic Bread.

Let’s talk about some of the ingredients

I’ll cover the main ones below but the full recipe can be found at the end

• Oyster mushrooms – you can however use any other mushroom of your choice too
• Milk – I’ve used soy milk here for both the batter and the mayonnaise to keep the recipe vegan
• Plain flour – also known as all purpose flour
• Cornflour – this is sold as cornflour in the UK and corn starch in the US
• Baking powder – this will create a reaction during the frying process to create bubbles. In turn creating a crispy yet light coating
• Whole spices – this recipe uses coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and cloves but you could absolutely use the ground alternatives
• Ground spices – I like to use chilli, garlic, ginger, dried mango powder, black pepper, garam masala, and kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• Dijon mustard – the mustard is used in the mayonnaise, it adds flavour and is a key emulsifying agent to get that thick mayo texture

The KEY tips for making these fried oyster mushrooms

1. Keep small clusters of mushrooms – avoid breaking the oyster mushrooms into individual pieces. Rather, keep them in smaller clusters for more texture and bite
2. Deep fry for best results – I love baking and air frying when I can, but this is one of those recipes where there is a significant difference between those methods and deep frying. Air frying with a spray/brush of oil will somewhat work but it lacks the texture of the deep fried version
3. Fry in batches – I cannot stress this tip enough. Frying too many at once will drop the oil temperature and cause the fried mushrooms to absorb oil. Thus becoming soggy rather than crispy. Use a cooking thermometer for accuracy if you can

How to make Masala Fried Oyster Mushrooms

1+2) Start by breaking/chopping the larger oyster mushroom clusters into smaller ones. Avoid breaking them into individual pieces as we want to retain some shape and size for texture

3) Small clusters like this are perfect

4) Then, add the whole spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and cloves) to a pestle and mortar

5) Crush until coarsely ground

6) For the dry mix, place the flours, baking powder, and salt in a bowl

7+8) Add the crushed spices and all the ground spices, and mix well

9) Add 2tbsp of the seasoned flour to the milk and whisk well. This should be like a thin pancake batter consistency. If you find it’s still too thin, add 1-2 additional tbsp of plain/all purpose flour and whisk once more

10) Next, pour around 2tsp of the milk back into the flour

11) Rub the milk into the flour to create small chunks. These end up creating a craggy, rough, crispy texture on the fried mushrooms

12) Dunk the mushrooms into the wet mix and allow any excess liquid to drain off

13) Then, dredge generously in the seasoned flour

14) Deep fry in oil at 180’C/355’F in batches until golden and crispy like 15)

15+16) Drain onto a wire rack and finish immediately with mango powder (or chaat masala if you like). These can be kept warm in a preheated 80’C/175’F oven

How to make vegan coriander chutney mayonnaise

(This is a double batch as I always keep some extra in the fridge/give to friends and family!)

1) Place all the mayonnaise ingredients into a blender jug

2) You can either use a handheld stick blender or a regular blender for this

3) Blend until smooth, creamy, and thick

4) I like to chill the mayonnaise for around 1 hour before serving which allows it to firm up even more. However it will already be fairly thick immediately after blending so that’s not essential

Frequently asked questions

Can these Masala Fried Oyster Mushrooms be baked or air fried?

They honestly don’t turn out quite as well when baked or air fried, however it will still work. Air frying is preferable over baking and I highly recommend generously spraying/brushing the dredged mushrooms with oil. I find it also helps to give them an extra spray of oil midway through.

How long will these fried mushrooms last? Can they be reheated?

They’re best served immediately after frying as they will begin to soften as they cool. However, once cooked, they can be kept refrigerated in an air-tight container for 3-4 days.

I find air frying to be the best method to reheat these fried mushrooms.

If you enjoyed this recipe

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Until then, happy cooking!