As you may know, our friend Turnip Vegan has been inspiring us for years with his passion for creating exciting, healthy, and beautifully crafted vegan food. We've collaborated on some mouth-watering recipes recently such as a lion's mane hot dog, a lion's mane "fish" sandwich, and a crispy oyster mushroom wrap. This time, he's crafted something special from his homegrown shiitake mushrooms: a Coconut Curry Shiitake Meatball Sandwich!
"This was a nice flush with close to 1.3 pounds of shiitake mushrooms. It takes about 1-2 months to get the shiitake bag ready to start fruiting, but North Spore makes it easier and faster to grow at home. It took about 10-11 days to grow once I took the fruiting block out of its bag. Because it grows outside of the bag, it’s best to grow in a tent or fruiting chamber to prevent contamination. I chose shiitake mushrooms for this recipe because shiitake is very meaty and has a delicious umami flavor. This recipe takes some work, but at the end of the day, it's incredible to go from harvest to table right at home." - Turnip Vegan
Check out the full recipe below.
Curry Coconut Sauce
2 chopped shallots
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbsp + 1.5 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp cumin powder
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can coconut cream
2 Tbsp coconut amino
Salt & pepper to taste
Curry Shiitake Meatballs
7-9 shiitake mushrooms (about 4.5oz)
1/2 cup black lentils, cooked
1 flaxseed egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water)
2 Tbsp avocado oil
1 tsp parsley
2 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp tomato paste
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
Other Ingredients
Hoagie bread
Grilled onions, sliced
Grilled red bell pepper, sliced
Directions
Step 1.
Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms. Add all meatball ingredients to a food processor except the panko bread crumbs and vital wheat gluten. Blend until smooth. Add mixture to a bowl and stir in the panko bread crumbs and vital wheat gluten.
Step 2.
Create balls with the meatball mixture. Steam the meatballs for 1 hour. In a saute pan, sear the meatballs in a small amount of oil until browned. Set aside.
Step 3.
Sauté shallot and ginger for 2-3 minutes in a small amount of oil.
Step 4.
To the pan, add curry powder, turmeric, garlic, cumin, diced tomatoes, coconut cream, and coconut amino. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes on medium heat.
Step 5.
Allow the sauce to cool slightly, then blend the curry mixture, in a large blender, until smooth.
Step 6.
Place the meatballs back into the saute pan on low heat. Pour the sauce into the pan to reheat the sauce and meatballs for 1-2 minutes.
Step 7.
Serve on Hoagie bread with grilled onions and red bell peppers. Enjoy!