I love all mushrooms, but I have a serious crush on shiitakes. There’s something about their umami, earthy, almost creamy, deliciously savoury flavour that makes me snaffle them up whenever I see them at the market. Here they’re paired with a simple medley of brown rice & zingy ginger, and fried into cute little nutrient-dense fritters. Stuff them in pita or wrap, add them to a grazing platter or Buddha bowl, pop them on the side of your salad, or simply snack on them as is.
What to expect from these lil bites of goodness:
✔ deliciously savoury
✔ plant protein: chickpea flour helps bind the mixture, plus adds protein
✔ shiitake + brown rice = a complete protein (told you these were good for you!)
✔ shiitakes are also packed with B vitamins & essential amino acids
✔ quick to make, only a handful of ingredients
✔ crispy outside, soft inside, ultra umami
A quick shopping note: although I can find shiitakes at the supermarket, they’re often way cheaper at an Asian store (for example, yesterday I saw them at the supermarket for $8.99 for 100 grams, and when I popped into the Asian market, a 1 kg bag was $8.99..! I know, 1 kg is a lot to get through, but it still pays to shop around, huh!)
Shiitake Ginger Rice Bites:
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 ½ cups fresh shiitake mushrooms, halved or roughly chopped
1 Tbsp tamari or gluten free soy sauce
2 Tbsp chickpea flour (also known as gram, besan, or garbanzo bean flour)
2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp salt
oil for shallow frying
½ – 1 Tbsp GF breadcrumbs (optional)
Add all ingredients – except the oil & breadcrumbs – to a food processor and blitz or pulse briefly. You don’t want a totally smooth mix, you still want to see some whole grains of rice and maybe a few chunks of shroom. The rice that does get mushed-up will mix with the chickpea flour, helping to bind everything.
Heat a little oil in a large frypan. Spoon out heaped spoonfuls of the mushroom mixture, and using clean damp hands, form into small balls, disc or patty shapes. If you’re using the breadcrumbs, put the crumbs in a small dish and roll the patties until lightly dusted.
Fry until each side is golden brown.
Makes about 20 small bites – or about 10 falafel-sized patties – depending on size. To serve, simply eat them as is, or dip them in a little extra tamari or creamy vegan aioli or mayo.
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