Banh Mi Chalupa

Ingredients

• 10 oz oyster mushrooms (Snow oysters may be used; clean with a soft brush or rinse quickly and dry thoroughly.)
• 0.25 cup avocado oil (Plus a small amount for pan-frying the steamed mushroom meat.)
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 0.5 cup tamari
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp lemongrass paste
• 2 cups vital wheat gluten
• 0.5 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp granulated garlic
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• chalupa shells or wraps (Use enough for serving; quantity not specified in the source.)
• pickled carrot slices (For filling; amount to taste.)
• pickled daikon radish slices (For filling; amount to taste.)
• cucumber slices (For filling; amount to taste.)
• jalapeño slices (For filling; amount to taste.)
• fresh cilantro (For topping; amount to taste.)
• vegan mayonnaise (Optional, for serving; amount to taste.)

Steps

1. 1

   Clean the oyster mushrooms with a soft brush, or rinse them briefly under running water if needed. Dry them thoroughly with a towel so excess moisture does not dilute the mixture.

2. 2

   Pulse the mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the avocado oil, ginger paste, tamari, water, and lemongrass paste, then blend until the mushrooms and wet ingredients form a fairly smooth purée.

3. 3

   In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, granulated garlic, dried basil, coriander powder, five-spice powder, salt, and black pepper until evenly combined.

4. 4

   Add the mushroom purée to the dry ingredients. Knead until a cohesive dough forms and most or all of the dry mixture is incorporated. The dough should hold together without being excessively sticky.

5. 5

   Prepare a steamer pan and bring the steaming water to a steady simmer. Check that there is enough water for the full steaming time.

6. 6

   Pack the dough into a 5-by-7-by-2-inch glass rectangular container. Cut parchment paper to fit the container and press it firmly over the mushroom-meat mixture to compact it. Alternatively, shape the dough into a log, wrap it tightly in parchment paper two or three times, and twist both ends as tightly as possible to seal.

7. 7

   Steam the packed mushroom meat for 1 hour 15 minutes. Flip the container or wrapped mushroom meat several times during steaming, and make sure the steamer does not run out of water.

8. 8

   Remove the cooked mushroom meat from the container, or unwrap it from the parchment. Slice it into thin strips.

9. 9

   Heat a small amount of avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushroom-meat strips and pan-fry, turning as needed, until both sides are lightly browned and the edges are slightly crisp.

10. 10

    Build each chalupa with a shell or wrap, the pan-fried mushroom meat, pickled carrot, pickled daikon, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, and optional vegan mayonnaise. Serve immediately.

Notes

If not serving immediately, wrap the mushroom meat in parchment paper and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator to prevent it from drying out. The source does not specify the number of shells or wraps, so provide enough for the intended servings.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• vegan
• plant-based
• fusion
• Southeast Asian-inspired
• steamed
• pan-fried
• make-ahead