Vegan Loaded Fries with Oyster Mushroom Shawarma
Something for those days you crave something really indulgent, aromatic, and savory. You have the crispy fries, meaty oyster mushroom shawarma with warm spices (that will fill the house with an incredible smell), creamy and garlicky tahini sauce, tangy pickles, and sumac shallots (plus some hot sauce for us who like it spicy).
Ingredients
Vegan Oyster Mushroom Shawarma
- 400 g pearl oyster mushrooms
- 1 white or yellow onion sliced
- 1 ½ tbsp tbsp shawarma seasoning (recipe below or use ready-made blend)
- pepper to taste if needed (it’s already in the seasoning blend)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
- optional: 1 tsp dark mushroom soy sauce for nice brown color and extra umami (add before salt so you can adjust salt accordingly)
Homemade Crispy Fries
- 3-4 large waxy potatoes scrubbed (keep skin if tender) and cut into fries sized sticks
- 1 tsp salt
- flaky sea salt
- oil for frying
Garlicky Tahini Sauce
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp vegan natural unsweetened yogurt, preferably Greek-style yogurt
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- salt to taste
- 3-4 tbsp cold water
Sumac Shallots
- 2 small shallots thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tsp ground sumac
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ice water
Other toppers
- 2 tbsp finely chopped savory pickles
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- optional: hot sauce of preference
Homemade Shawarma seasoning
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ½ tbsp ground cumin
- ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp onion powder
- ½ tbsp ground turmeric
- ½ tbsp ground sumac
- ½ tbsp sweet paprika powder
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp chili powder
- Mix everything together and store in an air-tight glass container.
Instructions
Vegan Oyster Mushroom Shawarma
- Clean the mushrooms by either gently giving them a quick rinse and let dry on clean kitchen cloth or clean them individually with a slightly damp kitchen cloth. Then shred them by pulling them apart with your hands into 1 cm thick strips.
- Heat a large pan, add the mushrooms and cook over medium heat, occasionally tossing, until most liquid has evaporated. Then add the oil, onion, all seasoning and salt, combine well. Fry over medium heat, stirring every now and then, until onions are soft and some pieces of the mushrooms turn slightly crispy.
Homemade Crispy Fries
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tsp salt and the cut potatoes. Boil for 2 minutes then drain and let cool completely and dry on clean kitchen or paper towels.
- Add 3-4 cm (1 ½ inch) of oil in a dutch oven or other pot suitable for frying. Heat the oil to 150 °C / 300 °F, add potatoes (in 2-3 batches) and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oil and let excess oil drip off on paper towels while they cool.
- When you’ve fried all batches and the fries have cooled, heat oil to 175-200 °C / 350-400 °F and start over again and fry each batch for 3-4 minutes again or until they are golden brown. Remove from oil and let excess oil drip off on paper towels and sprinkle with flaky sea salt immediately. (Second fry should be done just before serving so prepare all other steps before making this recipe.)
Garlicky Tahini Sauce
- Whisk together all ingredients except for the water in a small bowl then slowly add one tbsp of water at a time until you have a creamy sauce, add water more if it’s too thick.
Sumac Shallots
- To cut down the sharpness of the onions a little, place the sliced shallots in ice water for 15-30 minutes then drain well (you can also skip this step).
- Mix onions with remaining ingredients in a small bowl, set to the side.
Serving
- Divide the fries between your serving plates or bowls, top with the mushroom shawarma, tahini sauce, hot sauce (if using), sumac onions, pickles and parsley. Serve immediately while warm.
- The mushroom shawarma can also be served in a wrap or pita bread with the same condiments and more vegetables.