Such creaminess in a vegan dish. The sauce is just delicious, the pickled cucumbers act as a wake-up note, the spring onion is there for the funk, and the peanuts for the crunch. Everything makes sense. This is originally a bao bun filling form the incredible book "East" by Meera Sodha, which I have slightly altered in order for it to stand alone, or with the help of a yoghurt flatbread (recipe here), as I prefer to enjoy it.
To make the pickle, put in a glass jar very thin slices of:
Baby cucumber
Cover them with a vinegar of your choice and keep refrigerated for days.
For the sauce whisk to uniformity in a bowl:
Soy sauce, 6 tbsp
Peanut butter, 4 tbsp
Rice Vinegar, 8 tsp
Sesame Oil, 4 tsp
Garlic, minced, 2 large cloves
In a smoking hot non-stick pan, add in batches so as not to overcrowd:
Button Mushrooms, in half, or quarters if too big, stems removed (keep them in the freezer to use in stocks), 1 kg
Let them burn 2 minutes on each side, then remove to a plate, and continue with the rest. When finished, turn heat way down, and return mushrooms and sauce to the pan. Swirl to coat them well, and add at least 1/4 cup of water. This is a thick sauce that quickly stiffens when added to a hot pan, so make sure the temperature has lowered before the addition, and use as much water as required to reach the desired consistency. I like it creamy in this version, so I keep adding tablespoons of water at a time until I get there (when I cook it as a filling for the bao I do not use any water, because the purpose there is for it to be sticky). Let it bubble away for a few seconds and serve topped with the cucumber and:
Spring Onions, green parts only
Peanuts, crushed
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