Vegan mushroom rendang "curry" with whole field shrooms in a rich & thick, spicy hot & sour "sauce" laced with tamarind & coconut milk.
This dish takes a shade under 90 minutes to cook and prepare, but for most of that time, you are chilling out waiting for the sauce to cook and reduce!
Plant-Based Rendang
I recently gave my classic beef rendang recipe a bit of a facelift, and my wife said that the sauce would be really good with mushrooms.
So I put my head into gear, and she was right, this vegan mushroom rendang is properly tasty!
The almost meaty portobello mushrooms are the perfect foil for the thick, hot and sour coconut sauce.
I use them a lot in vegan and vegetarian versions of dishes like my mushroom stroganoff and devilled mushrooms on toast. They also star in most of my stuffed mushroom recipes, like these goat cheese and onion stuffed mushrooms.
They have a much more pronounced mushroom flavour, which gets accentuated here with some very British and old-fashioned mushroom ketchup.
Aside from that, the rendang sauce is pretty classic and features the greatest hits of classic rendang recipes from Malaysia and Indonesia.
The sourness comes from tamarind, lime and lemongrass. The heat comes courtesy of plenty of chillies, and we get plenty of deep flavour from coriander and cumin too.
It's all cooked down with coconut milk and toasted coconut flakes to create classic, wonderful flavours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use different types of mushrooms?
Yes, this will work with a host of different mushrooms. But it is important that you do not cook them in the sauce because they will break down too quickly.
Why do you use whole mushrooms?
I honestly just like the way that the dish tastes when I do not slice the mushrooms. It is also easier to get a nice colour on the mushrooms without overcooking them.
Can I use tamarind concentrate?
Yes, but you will need to use your experience with the brand that you choose because there are different levels of concentration.
I personally prefer to use a block because it lasts forever, it is cheaper, and whilst it is a messy job, it's not difficult.
Can I use low-fat coconut milk?
Not in this dish, no.
The whole idea is to slowly cook down the sauce, and low-fat coconut milk really does not work well for this.
What is mushroom ketchup?
It is an old-school British ingredient from the same school as Worcestershire sauce and Hendersons relish.
Unlike tomato ketchup, it is not a thick, sweet and sour sauce, but a thin liquid that lends recipes a deep umami flavour.
It is vegan and vegetarian, and I love the stuff; try it, but if not, omit it. This recipe still tastes magical.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve my vegan mushroom rendang with some plain steamed or boiled rice, but it would also be superb with coconut rice!
If you wanted a veggie side, then something like my asparagus stir fry or broccoli stir fry would work wonderfully.
If you wanted something a little more "salad" like, how about trying this Indonesian urap sayur recipe? It's a mix of veggies with a wonderful coconut topping!
I've even taken to serving this with straw potatoes because the crispy, salty "thing" works wonderfully with the hot and sour sauce
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- Wok, I use a large carbon steel wok.
- 30cm or 12" (minimum) frying pan.
- Mixing and prep bowls.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Stirring spoons, tongs or a fish slice.
- Fine mesh sieve.
Vegan Mushroom Rendang Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Large Field or Portobello Mushrooms 400g total
- 30 g Ginger 1 Thumb-sized piece
- 1 Large Echalion or Banana Shallot 70g
- 3 Thai Red Chilli Peppers
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 35 g Tamarind 35mm or 1½" Cube
- 25 g Desiccated Coconut ¼ Cup
- 3 Cardamom Pods
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 2 Star Anise
- 6 Dried Red Chillies
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 1 Stick Lemongrass
- 10 Lime Leaves
- 125 ml Vegetable Stock ½ Cup
- 200 g Tin Coconut Milk 7oz
- 1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Mushroom Ketchup
- ½ tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 3 tablespoon Ground Nut Oil
Instructions
- Place the tamarind in a bowl and pour over 35ml (2 Tbsp) of boiling water, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes. Then mash the pulp and pass it through a fine mesh sieve.
- Heat a small 20cm or 8" nonstick frying pan over a medium heat and toast the desiccated coconut until it is golden brown, this will take 3-4 minutes. Then let the coconut cool for 5 minutes.
- Roughly chop the red chilli peppers.
- Remove the root and tough outer leaves from the lemongrass, then bruise it with the back of a knife and roughly chop it.
- Peel the shallots and place them in a mini blender with the peeled garlic cloves, peeled ginger, lemongrass, red chilli peppers, dried chilli peppers and toasted coconut and blend with as much water as needed to form a paste. You will need 2-3 tablespoons of water.
- Strip the tough stems from the lime leaves and discard them, then shred the leaves as finely as you can.
- Heat a wok over a high heat and when it starts to shimmer, add 1 tablespoon of the oil followed by the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and star anise and stir fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the onion paste created in step four and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Throw in the lime leaves, cumin and coriander powders and stir for 15 seconds.
- Pour in the vegetable stock, coconut milk, tamarind pulp, dark soy sauce, lime juice, mushroom ketchup, and brown sugar, then stir.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 45 minutes.
- After the sauce has been cooking for 45 minutes, heat the remaining oil in a large (30cm or 12") frying pan over a high heat.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, then transfer them to the sauce and stir carefully to coat and allow to cook for a final 10 minutes.