First rinse the king oyster mushrooms. Pat dry and steam over high heat for 10 minutes. Remove from steamer and leave to cool down.
Then using a sharp knife, make a large slit from the cap towards the stem of mushroom. Turn the knife to ‘peel’ the mushrooms in a spiral motion till flat, keeping the mushroom in whole. Then gently slit on both sides of the mushroom.
Prepare ingredients to marinade king oyster mushrooms.
Combine the seasonings on a large plate. Transfer the cut mushrooms onto the plate. Rub both sides of mushroom generously with the sauce and leave to marinade for at least 30 minutes or even overnight.
Prepare Vegan Lemon Chicken Batter:
Have ready all ingredients needed to make the batter.
In a bowl, combine self raising flour, water, cooking oil and cornstarch. Stir until there is no lump and a smooth batter is formed. And we are ready to coat the marinated mushrooms before frying.
Fry Vegetarian Lemon Chicken:
First heat up oil in wok. Oil is hot enough when a steady stream of bubbles appear from the submerged end of the chopstick.
Dip marinated mushroom into batter, shake off excess and slowly put into the hot oil. Fry one side for about 4 minutes and then gently flip over and continue to fry the other side. Fry on both sides until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain off excess oil.
When slightly cooled, cut into pieces. Arrange on plate and garnish with slices of lemon and lemon peel. Next prepare the lemon sauce.
Prepare Lemon Sauce:
Have ready the ingredients to make lemon sauce.
Cut the lemon in halve. Squeeze and strain lemon juice into a bowl.
To make the sauce, mix together squeezed lemon juice, sugar, vinegar, water and cornstarch in a bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Then slowly pour the sauce into a small pot. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. When about to boil, add in some lemon zest and continue to cook till sauce thickened. And we are done with the lemon sauce.
Drizzle the lemon sauce over the fried mushrooms and it is ready to serve.
This crispy vegan lemon chicken is best enjoyed with steamed white rice or can be eaten on its own. Enjoy!
Use a sharp knife when cutting the king oyster mushrooms into cutlets.
Stir well to ensure a smooth batter (no lumps)
Be sure to coat the marinated mushroom completely in the batter.
Don't rush to flip the battered mushroom when just put in to fry. Ensure one side is fried for about 5 minutes before flipping.
The lemon sauce should just lightly coat the crispy mushroom cutlets so that every bite of is complete with a crunchy texture, perfected with a sweet, aromatic, and tart flavor from the lemony sauce.