Meaty grilled oyster mushrooms get a sticky, tangy glaze of tamarind and palm sugar. Lime, fresh herbs and toasted coconut keep every bite fresh and crisp. Serve them as a sharing dish or with rice for a light meal.
This is a modern, Malaysian-inspired sharing dish, not a traditional regional recipe. Tamarind and palm sugar give the glaze a pronounced sweet-and-sour profile, while soy sauce adds savoriness. The flavor should be lively and concentrated, not sweet like a syrupy sauce. Tamarind paste varies in tartness and thickness from brand to brand. So taste the sauce before brushing it onto the mushrooms: if the paste is sharp, add a small splash of water; if it’s milder, add a little more tamarind.
Oyster mushrooms are readily available year-round. Choose firm clusters with dry, intact caps and trim only the tough end of the shared stem. Grilling them over high heat browns the edges deeply and gives the flesh a firm bite. Leave space between the pieces in the pan; if it’s too crowded, they’ll release moisture and steam rather than grill. A grill pan works well. On the barbecue, use a grill basket so smaller pieces don’t fall through the grate.
Add the tamarind glaze to the mushrooms only once they’re already browned. Tamarind and sugar can burn quickly over direct heat, while the mushrooms still need time to take on color. Briefly simmering the sauce separately and tossing the mushrooms in it at the end preserves the shine without bitter, blackened spots. Keep the sauce thin enough to coat the mushrooms, but thick enough to cling to them.
Toasted coconut makes a dry, crisp counterpoint to the juicy mushrooms. Toast the coconut flakes in a dry pan, keeping them moving: they color quickly and can go from golden brown to too dark in a matter of seconds. Fresh cilantro and mint bring green, cool notes; feel free to use just cilantro if you don’t have mint. No palm sugar on hand? Light brown sugar works, though the caramel flavor will be a little less pronounced. Use tamarind paste from a jar, not a block of tamarind that needs to be soaked and strained first.
Serve the mushrooms right away, with lime wedges for squeezing over them at the table to taste. As part of a meal, they go well with steamed rice and a simple cucumber or cabbage salad. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and use within two days; it’s best to store the coconut separately so it stays crisp. Warm the mushrooms briefly in a frying pan, then add the coconut and herbs.
Trim the tough ends from the oyster mushroom clusters and pull the larger clusters into sturdy pieces. Pat them dry with paper towels if needed.
Toast the coconut flakes in a dry frying pan over medium heat. Toss regularly until golden brown, 2–3 minutes. Transfer them to a plate straight away.
Stir the tamarind paste, water, palm sugar and soy sauce together in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a grill pan over high heat. Grill the oyster mushrooms in batches, without overcrowding the pan, for about 3–4 minutes per side. Turn them when the undersides are well browned and grill until the other side is colored too.
Turn the heat to low. Add the garlic to a small saucepan and briefly heat it with a teaspoon of oil from the grill pan, about 30 seconds. Add the tamarind mixture and simmer gently, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is lightly syrupy.
Toss the grilled oyster mushrooms with the tamarind glaze and lime juice. Taste and add an extra squeeze of lime if needed. Arrange on a platter and scatter with the cilantro, mint and toasted coconut. Serve with the lime wedges.
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