Crispy Gochujang Mushroom Rice Cakes with Sesame Cucumber Yogurt

Crispy Gochujang Mushroom Rice Cakes with Sesame Cucumber Yogurt 🍄✨ This is the dinner I want when there is leftover rice in the fridge: crisp golden rice cakes, sticky gochujang mushrooms, cool cucumber yogurt, sesame crunch and plenty of scallions. The cakes are soft inside, deeply crisp outside, and sturdy enough to carry a glossy spoonful of mushrooms without feeling heavy. Yield: 4 servings Time: 25 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking Ingredients For the rice cakes: 520 g cold cooked short-grain or sushi-style rice 1 large egg 2 tablespoons cornflour 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 2 tablespoons neutral oil, for frying For the gochujang mushrooms: 350 g mushrooms, sliced or torn into chunky pieces 1 tablespoon neutral oil 2 tablespoons gochujang 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup 1 small garlic clove, finely grated 3 tablespoons water, plus a splash more if needed For the sesame cucumber yogurt: 220 g thick Greek yogurt 1/2 cucumber, coarsely grated and squeezed dry 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds Small pinch fine sea salt To serve: 2 scallions, thinly sliced Extra sesame seeds Lime wedges Method 1. Make the yogurt first so it stays cold and fresh. Stir the thick yogurt with squeezed grated cucumber, lime juice, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds and a pinch of salt. Chill while you cook. 2. Shape the rice cakes. Mix the cold rice with egg, cornflour, sesame oil and salt. The mixture should feel sticky enough to press together. With damp hands or a small cup measure, press it into 10-12 small round cakes about 1.5 cm thick. Chill for 10 minutes if the rice feels loose. 3. Crisp the cakes. Heat the neutral oil in a wide non-stick or well-seasoned frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the cakes with a little space between them. Cook for 3-4 minutes without moving them, until the base is deep golden and crisp. Flip once and cook another 3 minutes. Transfer to a warm plate. 4. Brown the mushrooms. In the same pan, add a little more oil if needed. Cook the mushrooms hard for 5-7 minutes, stirring only now and then, until browned at the edges and any water has cooked off. 5. Glaze the mushrooms. Stir in gochujang, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, garlic and water. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is glossy and clings to the mushrooms. Add another splash of water if it tightens too much. 6. Serve. Spoon the gochujang mushrooms over the crisp rice cakes. Add cold sesame cucumber yogurt, sliced scallions, extra sesame and a squeeze of lime. Serving and storage tips 🌿 The cakes are best hot from the pan, but they reheat well in a dry frying pan or air fryer. Keep the yogurt separate in the fridge and spoon it on at the table so the rice edges stay crisp. Leftover mushrooms are excellent tucked into lettuce cups, rice bowls or toast. Save this one for leftover-rice dinner magic. Tasteloom.club - easy recipes for everyday cravings