enoki mushroom rice bowl

i came to serve.

it’s no secret i love enoki mushrooms. my first recipe on this blog was an enoki stir fry, but that one focuses more on combining it with tofu. in this recipe, it’s clear the enoki is the star of the show. another vegetarian rice bowl option that’s hearty and flavorful! (skip the egg and you can make it vegan too~)

check out my other enoki rice bowl recipe:

spicy enoki tofu stir fry

the quickest rice bowl you’ll ever make

seriously. the longest part is waiting for the egg to fry. enoki cook very fast, so you’ll want to make sure everything is prepared beforehand. here’s the order i use to maximize efficiency:

1. wash and dry the vegetables.
2. heat oil in skillets for both the mushroom and eggs.
3. chop green onion, tear enoki, gather ingredients for sauce.
4. cook the enoki + egg (in their respective skillets ofc)
5. mix ingredients for sauce.
6. flip the enoki; pour sauce over.
7. plate with rice.
8. enjoy!

9. procrastinate cleaning dishes.

ingredients you’ll need:

one of the easiest ways to incorporate enoki into your meal is to pair it with a protein and stir fry sauce. tofu is a great option because of its mild flavor and soft texture. meats would compete with the enoki for the star of the show. i also find that using plant-based proteins enhances the taste and texture of ‘earthy’ veggies like mushrooms. and it’s vegan.

substitutions & serving options

if you don’t have the exact ingredients to make the sauce, i highly recommend visiting your local Asian grocery store! these are common Asian cooking ingredients that i use daily to make sauces and flavor my meals. but girl, i’m hungry NOW. no worries, i got you covered. here are some substitutes:

• sake – just skip this tbh. usually, you can use water as a substitute, but since we’re already using water to dilute the sauce, there’s no need to add more lol. if you happen to have shao xing cooking wine or white wine, that also works!
• mirin – you can sub this with sugar 1:1
• fish sauce – this is a little harder to sub for an exact flavor match. oyster sauce is a tasty alternative that adds that bit of saltiness that fish sauce provides. another option is to add 1/2 tbsp soy sauce + 1/2 tbsp vinegar (rice wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, white wine all work!), and a dash of salt.
• gochugaru – or korean red pepper flakes. you can sub this with crushed chili flakes or cayenne pepper. make sure to add a little at a time and taste your sauce so you can find the perfect spice level for your tastebuds!

plating & presentation

after my trip to Korea, i came back fully inspired to up my plating game. if you want to keep it simple and have a classic rice bowl experience, place the rice at the bottom of a medium sized bowl and cover with mushroom, egg, green onion and sesame seeds accordingly. BUT if you want to be extra like i clearly was, use an oval shaped plate instead! arrange the rice neatly in an oblong shape and lay the enoki across it. make sure they are all facing the same way for the best results. then top with the fried egg and sprinkle green onion on the side of the rice to fill in any gaps on the plate. save a few pieces to sprinkle on top of the egg (but don’t cover the yolk!). finish with sesame seeds and get ready to snap your instagram pictures.

how-to:

prep work — cut off about 1-inch of the enoki roots and remove from packaging. the great thing about enoki is that you can cut straight through the package, and use it to hold the roots for easy clean up! tear the mushroom into 5 or 6 large pieces. gently rinse and pat dry. wash and finely chop green onion for the topping. in a small bowl, mix all ingredients for the sauce (soy sauce, sake, mirin, fish sauce, gochugaru, minced garlic, sesame oil, water).

cooking — in a large skillet, heat about 1 tbsp of neutral oil over medium heat. add the mushrooms in one, even layer, being careful not to break the large pieces. cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side. pour the sauce on top of the mushrooms. increase the heat slightly and flip the mushrooms a few times to ensure they are evenly coated.

serve — neatly arrange the mushrooms on top of fresh, steamed rice. top with a fried egg, chopped green onions and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

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