I remember eating rice burgers growing up and loved the concept of eating rice with a really food filling because I always preferred rice over bread. During our trip to Japan, I came across a famous chain offering rice burgers and through to myself I could easily make one for myself. So yes, I took it as a challenge to create a vegan version of those rice burgers I would enjoy. Here they are!
I'm going to be complete honest: these were so much harder to shoot than they look. The rice tends to stick everywhere but that's also the beauty of Japanese rice! You'll have to use Japanese rice for this recipe because it's the only way to get the bun to stick well enough.
I used mushrooms to recreate that somewhat 'meaty' texture and it also resembles slices of beef, in my opinion. It was also very timely that I had a lot of fresh oyster mushrooms on hand for my undergraduate thesis, which is on a brand and product development for locally grown oyster mushrooms sourced directly from local farmers. Not only do these mushrooms taste amazing, but they're actually also very nutritious and sustainably. I also of course wanted to promote the direct partnership with farmers because by supporting local produce that's fairly traded, we're of course helping empower their sources of livelihood. (Wow this sounds like me presenting during my defense.)
ANYWAY before I get on any longer about mushrooms and my thesis, I'll share the full recipe below along with some photos to see how I made these. Enjoy!
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes? Check out my Vegan Kitchen eBook, which contains over 95 recipes that are packed with flavour and made with simple and easily accessible ingredients! Two trees (instead of 1!) will be planted for every download of my eBook through non-profit organisation One Tree Planted.🌲
Toasted Teriyaki Mushroom Rice Burgers
Makes 2 burgers Ingredients 3 cups fresh oyster mushrooms (around 200g), cut into small strips* 2 cups cooked Japanese rice (this is essential) 3 tbsp teriyaki sauce 2 tsp soy sauce, optional 1/2 + 1/2 tbsp tbsp canola oil, or cooking oil of choice 1 bell pepper, sliced into strips Lettuce Sesame Seeds Spring Onions, roughly chopped *Note: If you don’t have oyster mushrooms, feel free to use shiitake mushrooms or other mushrooms of choice and slice them into small strips or pieces
Materials you’ll need Round container to use as a mold Reusable plastic, silicon, or paper wrap (I used a reusable silicon wrap--similar one here) Small bowl with water
Steps (Check out some step by step photos below!)
Heat a pan. Add in 1/2 tbsp oil and sauté the bell peppers. Cook until tender then set aside.
Add in the mushrooms and teriyaki sauce. Cook for 6-8 minutes over medium heat until mushrooms are cooked and tender. Once cooked, set aside.
Divide the 2 cups of cooked japanese rice into 4 portions, measuring 1/2 cup each. This part will depend on the size of your buns but I used a 3-inch (diameter) round container I found and was able to make a bun that was roughly 3/4 inch thick.
Prepare the container. Place the plastic/paper/silicon wrap flat on the container. Add in the rice. Make sure it is compact. You can dip your fingers in the bowl with water to help prevent the rice from sticking to your fingers.
Flatten out the rice then wrap it well. Take it out of the mold then continue to shape the sides as needed. Repeat these steps until you have 4 round rice ‘buns’.
Heat a non-stick the pan and brush with 1/4 tbsp oil. Once hot, add in the rice buns. Pan fry on each side for 6-7 minutes on medium high heat until lightly browned and crisp. Sprinkle with 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce, if desired (this is just for extra flavour). Carefully flip over using a spatula and brown as well.
Assemble the burgers by adding some lettuce, bell peppers, mushrooms, sesame seeds, and more teriyaki sauce as desired. Enjoy!
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