How I Developed This Recipe
I never expected to be obsessed with a mushroom recipe, yet here I am declaring this crispy enoki mushrooms rice bowl the most delicious plant-based dish I’ve made so far.
In fact, I’d go as far as to say the best recipe I’ve made this year so far!
Sure, you might have seen the crispy enoki trend all over Insta and TikTok, but what sets it apart is my special tangy sauce that transforms this snack into a light meal obsession. This combination creates flavors so incredible, that it immediately claimed the top spot among all my recipes this year. A position I didn’t see coming.
I’ll show you exactly how to achieve that perfect golden crispiness, plus the sauce that makes everything magical. All documented with step-by-step photos so you can’t go wrong! Find yourself some enoki mushrooms and prepare for the most delicious recipe in 15 minutes.
Key Ingredients & Substitution Ideas
- Enoki mushrooms: Choose tight clusters with pure-white caps and firm, crisp stems. Any yellowing or sliminess means they’re past their prime. These mushrooms are essential for this recipe and cannot be substituted with other mushroom varieties. You’ll typically find them in plastic packages in the refrigerated section of Asian grocery stores or well-stocked supermarkets.
- Potato starch: If you don’t have potato starch on hand, you can substitute with cornstarch, tapioca starch, or rice starch.
- Sugar: I prefer light brown sugar for its subtle molasses notes, but any fine-textured sweetener works beautifully. Since we’re not heating the sauce, avoid coarse sugars and stick with varieties that dissolve easily.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make this Ultimate Enoki Mushroom Rice Bowl at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
Start by combining all sauce ingredients in a small bowl (sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic paste, dried chili flakes, chopped green onions, and sesame seeds). Give everything a good stir and set aside to let the flavors meld while you prepare the mushrooms.
When I first tested this, I tried a bit more rice vinegar, but found the flavor most balanced when soy sauce and rice vinegar are equal parts.
Trim the root end of the enoki cluster as close to the base as possible. You want to keep as much of those delicate stems as you can.
Gently separate the mushrooms into bite-sized bundles with your hands, then lightly sprinkle with salt.
Here’s where my technique gets a bit unconventional: toss the mushrooms with olive oil first.
Then coat them thoroughly with potato starch.
I learned this trick through trial and error. At first, I tried coating the mushrooms directly with starch, but the coating wouldn’t stick properly and fall off during cooking.
Adding oil first creates a base layer that helps the starch cling to every surface of the mushrooms. This method transforms ordinary enoki mushrooms into impossibly crispy, golden clusters.
Heat your large frying pan over medium heat and add olive oil. I arrange the coated enoki in a single layer.
Then press down firmly with a spatula, aiming for a thin “mushroom pancake” and keep moving the spatula from one to another to ensure they’re all evenly crisped up.
Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, continuously pressing down to ensure even browning and maximum crispiness.
The pressing action is what separates good crispy enoki from absolutely incredible crispy enoki. Without consistent pressure, you’ll end up with unevenly cooked mushrooms that are crispy in some spots and chewy in others.
Think of it like making a smash burger. I know it requires patience, but those extra few minutes of pressing make all the difference.
Tip: If you don’t want to be constantly pressing them, cover them with baking parchment and a pot of water big enough to cover the mushrooms, but small enough to fit in the pan. That will take care of some of the work!
When both sides are a nice golden color and crispy, take the enoki out of the pan and let them cool down a bit. Since the press-frying can create cohesive clusters, you might need to gently separate them by hand or with kitchen scissors.
While they’re still warm, dip the crispy mushrooms into your prepared sauce.
Then arrange them over steamed rice.
Pour the rest of the sauce over the rice, along with any other tasty bits like green onions and chili flakes. Throw in a bit of black pepper at the end, and you’ve got a dish that’s about to become your new go-to.
The crispy, savory mushrooms and the tangy sauce over warm rice are absolutely divine.
Once you master this technique, try serving the crispy enoki over cold udon or soba noodles for a refreshing summer meal too!
Essential Tips & Tricks
- Choose fresh, white enoki mushrooms and avoid yellowish or slimy clusters.
- Drizzle a little oil onto the mushrooms before dusting with starch. Without that tacky layer, the starch won’t adhere evenly.
- Use your spatula to firmly press the mushrooms throughout the entire cooking process.
- Don’t rush the browning! Cook each side for a full 4-5 minutes until deeply golden.
- If you want to make life a bit easier, consider covering the mushrooms with baking paper and a heatproof weight such as a pot filled with water. Just make sure it’s big enough to cover all of the mushrooms but small enough to fit in your pan.
- Let the mushrooms cool on a rack for a minute before dunking them in the marinade.
With these simple tips in mind, you’re set for success every time you make this Crispy Enoki Mushroom Rice Bowl.
Meal Prep & Storage
This dish is not suitable for meal prep. The whole point of this recipe is that the mushrooms need to be freshly fried and crispy. If they’re left out for even a few hours, they’ll lose their crunch and get soggy.
However, you can make the sauce up to 3 days ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator.
Leftover crispy enoki should be eaten immediately for best results. If you must store leftovers, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 1 day, but expect them to lose their crispiness.
Serving Suggestions
I hope you enjoy this Enoki Mushroom Rice Bowl recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Vegetarian Recipes
Hungry for more? Explore my vegetarian recipe collection to find your next favorite dishes!
Crispy Pan-Fried Enoki Mushroom Rice Bowl (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 200 g enoki mushrooms fresh
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp olive oil for coating
- 2 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) or cornstarch, tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp olive oil for pan-frying, neutral oil also works
- ground black pepper to taste
- 2 small ptns cooked Japanese short-grain rice approx 100-150g per serving for mini don
Sauce
- 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar unseasoned
- ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp finely chopped green onions
- ½ tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 tsp light brown sugar or any fine-textured, dissolves easily sugar
- ½ tsp garlic paste or less amount of freshly grated garlic
- 1 tsp dried red chili pepper finely sliced
My recommended brands of ingredients and seasonings can be found in my Japanese pantry guide.
Can’t find certain Japanese ingredients? See my substitution guide here.
Instructions
- Take a bowl and mix together the sauce ingredients (1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 tbsp rice vinegar, ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil, 2 tbsp finely chopped green onions, ½ tbsp toasted white sesame seeds, 1 tsp light brown sugar, ½ tsp garlic paste and 1 tsp dried red chili pepper.)
- Cut off the root end of 200 g enoki mushrooms and gently rip them into bitesize bundles.
- Place them in a bowl and sprinkle with a few pinches of salt and 1 tsp olive oil. Toss until evenly covered.
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) into the bowl and toss again until thoroughly coated.
- Preheat a large pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Arrange the coated enoki in the pan in a single layer and press them with a spatula, alternating so they're evenly pressed (see notes for other method).
- Fry for 4-5 minutes or until brown and crispy on both sides. Press continuously for even cooking and maximum crispiness.
- Prepare 2 small ptns cooked Japanese short-grain rice. Remove the enoki from the pan and cut them into smaller pieces if necessary. Then while still warm, dip them in the prepared sauce.
- Lay the sauce-coated crispy enoki over the rice and pour the leftover sauce over the top. Sprinkle with ground black pepper and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes two mini rice bowls or one large.
- If you don’t want to press the enoki down in the pan continuously, try covering them with baking paper and a heavy weight such as a pot of water (big enough to cover the enoki, small enough to fit in the pan) or cast iron grill press.
- I recommend serving with side dishes like tofu steak, miso soup or tofu gyoza for a complete meal.
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