If you’ve never had a spice bag before, you’re seriously missing out. It’s one of those iconic takeaway dishes that’s salty, spicy, crispy, and just hits every time. Traditionally it’s made with fried chicken and chips, but this vegan version swaps in lion’s mane mushroom — and trust me, it works insanely well.
When rehydrated and fried, lion’s mane has this crazy meaty texture that makes it the perfect plant-based substitute for chicken. Once it’s coated in a crispy seasoned batter and tossed through chilli, garlic, and spices with hot chips, you’ve got a vegan spice bag that honestly rivals the original.
Before you start
Rehydrate 2 large lion’s mane mushrooms. Keep them in a big “steak” or cutlet shape. This way, they look a bit like a chicken fillet.
If you don’t have any dried lion’s mane mushroom, you can grab some here.
If you need help rehydrating your mushrooms, check out our guide here.
Ingredients
Veg + base
- 1 red capsicum
- 1 small–medium red onion
- ½ bulb garlic (or the whole thing… measure with your heart)
- 1 chilli (deseeded if you want less spice, or omit)
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
- 450g frozen chips
Spice mix
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp MSG
- ½ tsp ground Sichuan pepper
- 2 tsp five spice powder
- 2 tsp paprika (smoked works great)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
Fried “chicken” (lion’s mane)
- 200g rehydrated lion’s mane mushroom
- 200g all-purpose flour
- 50g cornflour
- 2 tbsp Italian herbs
- 1 tbsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp MSG
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ~4 cups neutral oil (for frying)
Curry sauce
- Bisto curry granules (follow packet instructions)
OR - Japanese curry blocks (2 blocks + ~1 cup boiling water)
Method
1. Prep the mushrooms
Rehydrate your lion’s mane and keep them in chunky pieces.
In a bowl, mix:
- flour
- cornflour
- spices
In a separate bowl, mix soy milk + apple cider vinegar to create a vegan “buttermilk”.
Lightly coat the mushrooms in the flour, dip into the buttermilk, then coat again in the flour mixture.
Press the flour into the mushrooms to create craggly, crispy bits.
2. Fry the shroomi
Heat oil to 180°C.
No thermometer? Stick a wooden chopstick in — if bubbles form around it, it’s ready.
Only fill the pot halfway with oil.
Fry mushrooms in batches until:
- golden brown
- crispy
Place on a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Cook the chips
Cook your frozen chips according to packet instructions.
4. Cook the spice base
Chop onion, capsicum, chilli, garlic, and ginger.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan.
Add ginger + chilli first and cook for ~1 minute until fragrant.
Then add:
- onion
- capsicum
- garlic
- HALF of the spice mix
Cook until the capsicum softens slightly.
5. Toss everything together
Add chips → toss
Add fried mushrooms → toss
Add remaining spice mix → toss everything together
6. Make the curry sauce
Option 1: Bisto
Follow packet instructions
Option 2: Japanese curry
Add 2 blocks to a jug + ~1 cup boiling water and stir.
If not thick enough, microwave for 1 minute before adding more blocks.
7. Serve
Plate it up and drizzle curry sauce over the top. Serve extra on the side if you like it saucy.
Notes
- Don’t overcrowd the oil — this keeps everything crispy
- Pressing the flour into the mushroom is KEY for texture
- Curry sauce takes it to another level — don’t skip it
Want to make this at home?
You can grab my premium dried lion’s mane mushrooms here.
They rehydrate into a super meaty texture that works perfectly for recipes like this.
And don’t forget to download the free rehydration guide so you get the best results every time.