From Dr. Sheil Shukla’s stunning book, Kari: Reimagined Plant-Based Recipes (August, 2026): “This is my take on Japanese-style mushroom rice. It is one of my favorite rice dishes of all time because it is umami-forward (thanks to the miso, soy sauce, and mushrooms), and it has added depth of flavor from the star aromatics of Asian cuisine: onions, scallions, ginger, and garlic.”
“For an additional boost of flavor and umami, I like to use a variety of different mushrooms, including beech, maitake, oyster, and king trumpet, but you can use whatever combination is accessible to you. It is best served right off the stove on a chilly day because the warmth and porridge-like consistency of the rice soothes the soul.”
While most of the recipes are creatively interpreted from traditional Indian ingredients and techniques, Kari also presents a scattering of recipes like this one for Japanese-style mushroom rice, showcasing other Asian ingredients and inspirations.
Recipe and photo are from Kari: Reimagined Plant-Based Indian Recipes by Sheil Shukla ©2026. DK, a division of Penguin Random House, reprinted by permission.
Kari: Reimagined Plant-Based Recipes is available
on Bookshop*, Amazon*, and wherever books are sold.
Dr. Sheil Shukla is a recipe developer, content creator, food photographer, and a Northwestern Medicine board certified internal medicine physician. His culinary creations have garnered the support of over 92,000 followers on Instagram. His debut cookbook, Plant-Based India was named one of the New York Times best cookbooks of 2022 and was nominated for a James Beard Award. He lives in the Chicagoland suburbs with his wife Rachel and their children Shrey, Radhi, and Reva.
See more about Kari following the recipe box.
Explore more …
- If you enjoy this recipe by Sheil Shukla, you might also enjoy Potatoes with Fenugreek, from his first book, Plant-Based India: Nourishing Recipes Rooted in Tradition.
- Learn more about the varieties of mushrooms you can use in this recipe: A Guide to 9 Common and Offbeat Culinary Mushroom Varieties.
Mushroom Rice (Japanese Style — major umami)
Sheil Shukla writes of this umami-rich dish: “This is my take on Japanese-style mushroom rice. It is one of my favorite rice dishes of all time because it is umami-forward (thanks to the miso, soy sauce, and mushrooms), and it has added depth of flavor from the star aromatics of Asian cuisine: onions, scallions, ginger, and garlic."
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (300 g) white sushi rice
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
- 16 ounces (454 g) mushrooms (see Headnote), cut into bite-size pieces
- Salt
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups/300 g)
- 6 to 8 scallions, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or preferred sweetener
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons white miso
Instructions
- Place the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and run cool tap water over it while swishing the grains between your fingers. Rinse until the water begins to run clear and then drain. Transfer the rice to a medium bowl and add enough water to cover.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in an even layer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and transfer the mushrooms to a medium bowl or plate.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, and stir frequently with a wooden spoon until translucent and starting to brown, about 6 minutes.
- Lower the heat slightly, add the scallions, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add about two-thirds of the mushrooms, and stir to combine.
- Drain the rice and add it to the pot along with the maple syrup, mirin, soy sauce, and 5 ½ cups (1.3 L) water. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low to maintain the gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes.
- Check more frequently in the last 10 minutes of cooking to ensure the rice does not stick and burn on the bottom of the pot. Remove from the heat and stir in the miso until well incorporated. Taste and adjust for salt or soy sauce.
- Transfer to serving bowls, top with the reserved mushrooms and serve immediately.
More about Kari by Sheil Shukla
James Beard Award nominee, Sheil Shukla, has released a brand-new cookbook, Kari: Reimagined Plant-Based Indian Recipes (August, 2026; a follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut cookbook, Plant-Based India, 2022). Kari celebrates the quintessential Asian American food—curry—with 75 reimagined plant-based recipes, accompanied by Sheil’s stunning photography.
The word curry, derived from the Tamil word ‘kari’ has come to describe a diverse set of dishes from several Asian cultures—from Indian to Thai to Japanese and beyond. Kari is Sheil Shukla’s love letter to this iconic food, with 75 plant-based recipes for curries and accompaniments that make store-bought simmer sauces an afterthought.
These reimagined recipes are informed by Shukla’s Gujarati heritage and his experience as a first-generation Indian American. Within each chapter, Shukla teaches at-home chefs the basics of creating a curry (or dressing or chutney), followed by different recipes that incorporate that base into unique and delicious dishes.
A slow-simmered makhani sauce, scented with cumin and coriander, can be served with crispy tofu katsu or layered with tortilla chips and toppings for a vegan twist on nachos. The classic Indian mango chutney transforms into a sweet and savory sauce with the addition of Japanese miso; Shukla offers it both as a dipping sauce for summer pakoras and as a glaze for roasted vegetables.
These are Indian recipes you’ve never seen before, crafted in a celebration of what it means to bring cultural traditions together through food. More than anything, this book is an invitation: to cook, to taste, to experiment, and to make these dishes your own.
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