Shiitake Mushroom Stir-fry
A stir-fry made with unwashed shiitake mushrooms, stir-fried with onion, green onion, and chili peppers, then seasoned with soy sauce, oyster sauce, and more.
📝 Editor's Notes
The mu-saengchae (무생채) we're introducing today is characterized by its maximized umami flavor, achieved by first salting shredded radish with myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓) (fish sauce).
The perfect harmony of spicy, sweet, and sour flavors will make you call it a "rice thief." Its crunchy texture and refreshing taste will stimulate your appetite and help you regain lost cravings.
Winter radishes, in particular, reach their peak sweetness and crunchiness, so making it with seasonal radishes will give you an even deeper flavor.
It's not difficult to make, making it an easy challenge for beginner cooks.
While good to enjoy all year round, it becomes the best side dish when served with warm rice.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
Choose a radish that has a smooth, firm surface and is clearly white with a greenish tint.
A heavy radish with fewer root hairs is fresh and delicious.
Winter radishes, in particular, are very sweet and juicy, making them excellent for saengchae.
Myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓) (fish sauce) is a key ingredient for deep umami flavor, so it's better to choose a product from a well-known brand rather than a very cheap one.
For gochugaru (고춧가루) (chili powder), select a vibrant color that isn't too spicy, opting for a medium heat level.
Choose green onions with fresh roots and lively green leaves.
🔄 Substitution Guide
If you don't have myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓) (fish sauce) or have a seafood allergy, you can substitute it with tuna fish sauce or guk-ganjang (국간장) (soup soy sauce).
Tuna fish sauce provides a similar umami flavor to myeolchi-aekjeot but may have a slightly stronger aroma.
Guk-ganjang offers a cleaner taste but may have less umami than myeolchi-aekjeot.
You can also use oligosaccharide or jocheong (조청) (rice syrup) instead of sugar.
While the level of sweetness is similar, oligosaccharide provides a milder sweetness, and jocheong can add its unique deep aroma.
If you don't have maesil-cheong (매실청) (green plum syrup), you can adjust the sweet and sour taste by slightly increasing the amount of sugar or oligosaccharide, or by adding a small amount of apple vinegar.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
The most important point of this recipe is the process of salting the radish with myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓) (fish sauce).
Marinate it with 2 tbsp of myeolchi-aekjeot for 15 minutes, flipping it once in between so that the radish is evenly seasoned and the umami flavor is thoroughly absorbed.
Make sure to adhere to the timing so the radish doesn't become too salty.
The second point is to adequately drain the moisture from the salted radish.
Draining the water in a colander prevents the seasoning from becoming watery and helps maintain the crunchy texture.
Finally, when mixing all the seasonings, green onion, toasted sesame seeds, and an additional 1 tbsp of myeolchi-aekjeot should be added at the very end and lightly mixed to preserve their fresh aroma and flavor.
👨🍳 Directions
Cut off the stems of the unwashed shiitake mushrooms with scissors, then slice them into bite-sized pieces.
Combine 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tbsp minced garlic, and 1/3 cup water, and mix well to make the sauce.
Heat cooking oil in a pan, then add the sliced onion and green parts of the green onion and stir-fry.
Add 1 Cheongyang chili pepper (청양고추) and 1 red chili pepper and stir-fry. Then, stir the prepared sauce well and pour it in.
Add all the sliced shiitake mushrooms and continue to stir-fry until the seasoning is well absorbed.
💡 Tips
To preserve their aroma, use shiitake mushrooms without washing them.
It's good to stir-fry the onion, green onion, and chili peppers first to enhance their aroma and spiciness before adding the sauce and mushrooms.
📦 Storage & Reuse
Store the finished mu-saengchae in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and you can enjoy it fresh for about 5-7 days.
As time passes, the radish may release more water, so it's good to stir it lightly each time you serve.
Freezing is not recommended, as the crunchy texture of the radish can significantly diminish and become soggy upon thawing.
Leftover mu-saengchae can be enjoyed as bibimbap (비빔밥) by adding warm rice, sesame oil, and a fried egg, or it can be served with dwaeji-duru-chigi (돼지고기 두루치기) or jeyuk-bokkeum (제육볶음) to cut through the richness and enhance the flavor.
🥢 Who This Is For
This mu-saengchae becomes an excellent meal, better than any other side dish, when mixed with warm white rice.
It adds a refreshing touch, especially when you have no appetite or when served with greasy foods.
It also pairs well with meat dishes or jeon (전) (pancakes) and is a great ingredient for bibimbap (비빔밥).
We highly recommend it to those who enjoy spicy and sweet flavors, or families who prefer a cool and crunchy texture.
It's a perfect match for all Korean dishes eaten with rice, such as kimchi-jjigae (김치찌개) (kimchi stew) or doenjang-jjigae (된장찌개) (soybean paste stew).
🔥 Nutrition Info
Based on half a radish, this mu-saengchae has a relatively low estimated calorie count of about 70-90 kcal per serving (approx. 100g).
Protein is estimated at about 2-3g, fat at about 1-2g, and carbohydrates at about 15-20g.
Radish, in particular, is rich in Vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity, and contains many digestive enzymes (amylase, diastase), beneficial for improving indigestion.
Myeolchi-aekjeot (멸치액젓) (fish sauce) is rich in calcium and amino acids, enhancing not only its umami flavor but also its nutritional value.
The organic acids in maesil-cheong (매실청) (green plum syrup) can aid in fatigue recovery, and green onions and garlic contain antioxidant compounds.
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