Simple vegetarian oyster sauce recipe to add more flavor to vegetarian meals

How to Make Vegetarian Oyster Sauce

• 1

  Prepare Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

  Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water for about 10 minutes until they soften, then rinse with clean water and drain.

  Next, tear the shiitake mushrooms into small pieces by hand.

  Tip for Quick Mushroom Soaking:

  • To soak the mushrooms faster, use warm or hot water at 60 – 80 degrees Celsius for about 7 – 10 minutes for the mushrooms to expand.
  • Gently rub the mushrooms to remove any dirt, then rinse them with clean water so they can be cooked immediately.
  • Add a little salt to the soaking water and make sure to submerge the mushroom stems in the water. This way, you can easily remove any dirt from the shiitake mushrooms.

  
• 2

  Cooking Shiitake Mushrooms

  Place a pot on the stove, add the torn shiitake mushrooms into the pot. Pour in 500g of water, cook over medium heat until the water in the pot boils, then lower the heat. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes.

  

  
• 3

  Strain the Mushroom Water

  Strain the shiitake mushroom water through a sieve, collecting the mushroom water.

  Squeeze 1/2 a lemon into the bowl of mushroom water, then add 100g of soy sauce. Stir the mixture well together.

  Tip: You can store the leftover shiitake mushrooms in the refrigerator and use them for other dishes.

  

  
• 4

  Caramelizing Sugar

  Place a pot on the stove, add 100g of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of cooking oil to the pot, and stir gently. Cook over high heat.

  When the liquid in the pot starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the sugar water in the pot will separate into 2 layers: oil layer and sugar layer.

  Next, when the sugar starts to boil, foaming gently and turning light brown, reduce the heat to low. Cook until you see the sugar mixture start to form large bubbles, then turn off the heat immediately. Let the caramel cool for about 2 – 3 minutes.

  Tip: While caramelizing the sugar, do not stir the pot, you can only gently shake the pot.

  See more How to make caramel sauce at home for more delicious dishes.

  

  

  
• 5

  Cooking Oyster Sauce

  Add mushroom water to the pot of sugar. Place on medium heat and gently stir the mixture.

  When the liquid in the pot begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer the mixture for 2 – 3 minutes, then turn off the heat.

  Pour off the top layer of oil from the cooled oyster sauce to complete.

  Tip: If you want the oyster sauce to be thicker, you can add a little cornstarch or potato starch to cook with it to achieve a thicker consistency and prevent oil separation.

  

  
• 6

  Final Product

  The mushroom sauce is fragrant, with a natural sweetness from mushrooms. You can use the mushroom sauce for stir-frying vegetables, helping the vegetables to be shinier and more aromatic.