Crispy Enoki and Onion Fritters with Thai Curry Mayo Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated August 30, 2018
20120926-enoki-onion-fritters-curry-mayo-3.jpg
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Recipe Details

Crispy Enoki and Onion Fritters with Thai Curry Mayo Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 30 mins
Serves 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 tablespoon red Thai curry paste

  • 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime

  • 2 quarts peanut or canola oil

  • 2 (3 1/2 ounce) package Enoki mushrooms, bottoms trimmed

  • 1 medium onion, finely sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

  • 1/4 cup flour

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika

  • Pinch cayenne pepper

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 tablespoons vodka or other liquor

  • 1 tablespoon finely sliced chives

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat oven to 200°F. Whisk together mayonnaise, curry paste, and lime juice in a small bowl until homogenous. Set aside. Heat oil in a large wok, Dutch oven, or deep fryer to 325°F and adjust flame to maintain temperature.

  2. Combine mushrooms and onions in a large bowl and break apart with your fingers, tossing until thoroughly combined. Add flour, cornstarch, baking powder, paprika, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sesame seeds to bowl and toss until thoroughly combined.

  3. Whisk together egg and vodka. Add to bowl with mushrooms and work with your fingers until it comes together into a thick better. The batter should flow slightly, but still be quite sticky. Depending on how moist your onions are, you may need to add up to 2 tablespoons more water.

  4. Using fingertips, pick up onion and mushroom mixture 2- to 3-tablespoons at a time and gently lower into hot oil. Do not crowd pan. You should be able to fit about half of mushroom mixture at a time. Fry, flipping and turning occasionally until deep golden brown and crisp all over, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and season immediately with kosher salt. Keep warm in oven while you fry second batch in the same manner.

  5. Transfer to a serving plate, sprinkle with chives, and serve immediately with curry mayo.

Special equipment

Wok, deep fryer, or deep fat fryer

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
383Calories
34gFat
16gCarbs
4gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories383
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g44%
Saturated Fat 4g22%
Cholesterol 43mg14%
Sodium 498mg22%
Total Carbohydrate 16g6%
Dietary Fiber 2g7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 4mg21%
Calcium 53mg4%
Iron 1mg7%
Potassium 218mg5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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