By Jehan Yusoof  |  Updated September 12, 2026  |  ★ 5 (2 reviews)  |  2 Comments.

Hot butter mushroom stir-fry, a vegetarian version of Sri Lankan hot butter cuttlefish.
Crispy and crunchy, coated in a spicy butter-flavoured sauce.
This mushroom recipe turns your everyday plain mushrooms into an irresistible appetiser or side dish.

If you try this, I’d love to know how it turned out; a quick rating or comment really helps other readers decide what to cook.

What is hot butter mushroom?

It is a Sri Lankan-Chinese dish made by first deep-frying battered oyster mushrooms that are tossed in a sauce of melted butter, minced garlic, chilli paste and spring onions.
This is a vegetarian version of hot butter cuttlefish, a delicious seafood dish that is popular in Sri Lankan restaurant menus.

Ingredients for hot butter mushroom fry.

• To coat and season.
  • Oyster mushrooms
  • Eggs(read substituting ingredients above for a completely vegetarian version).
  • Cornflour.
  • Turmeric powder.
  • Black pepper powder.
  • Salt to season.
  • Oil to fry.
• To make the hot butter sauce.
  • Oil.
  • Spring onion stalks.
  • Butter(substitute for a fully vegetarian version given in substitute note below).
  • Minced garlic.
  • Chilli paste.
  • Lime juice.

Tips and suggestions to make hot butter mushrooms.

• Substitute notes.
  • The egg can be omitted, as the natural dampness of the mushrooms can still help coat the mushrooms with flour seasoning. Not as crunchy as having egg in the mix.
  • Chilli paste, which has dried baby shrimp, can be substituted with a vegan or vegetarian chilli paste or replaced with a few teaspoons of red chilli flakes.
  • Butter is a key ingredient that gives this fried mushroom fry its unique taste, but to make it vegetarian, substitute it with coconut oil or vegetable ghee.
• More helpful tips.
  • Have all the ingredients you need prepared and ready.
  • The mushroom needs to be coated thoroughly in seasoned flour.
  • Watch the heat and keep it at low-medium. if the oil starts smoking, it’s too hot, and the batter will burn before the mushroom cooks through.
    To do this, I often turn the stove knob from medium heat to low and back to medium again to maintain steady heat.
  • Have all the utensils needed ready as well.

What you will need in the kitchen.

• Chopping board and knife.
• Large bowl.
• A large tray(a baking pan would do)covered in kitchen paper towels.
• Slotted spoon.
• Deep frying pan to fry the mushrooms.
• A large flat frying pan or a medium-sized wok is needed to assemble the hot butter mushroom stir-fry.

PHOTO TUTORIAL.

How to make hot butter mushroom fry.

Coating the shredded mushrooms.

Remove the oyster mushrooms from the package and shred them into strips. Avoid shredding into smaller strips.
Transfer the shredded mushrooms to a bowl.

Add the egg to the shredded mushrooms.

Combine so the egg is incorporated into the shredded mushrooms.
Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add cornflour, pepper, and salt to season.
Combine the dry ingredients well.

Add the cornflour mix to the mushrooms.

Coat the mushrooms in the cornflour mix.
I used a disposable glove as the mixture tends to be slightly sticky and not easily removable with a quick wash.
This matters when you need to move on to the next step of making the fried mushroom stir-fry (hot butter mushroom).

Place the kitchen paper towel-covered tray close to your frying pan.

How to fry the mushrooms.

Place a medium-sized pan over a low-medium fire and add the oil.
Gradually heat the oil until, when you add a wooden stick (use a wooden spoon), bubbles appear around it.
Adjust the heat to maintain this temperature.
Now, in small batches, fry the mushrooms until they are golden and crispy.
Drain the oil completely before placing the crispy mushroom fries on the tray, and lay them in a way that the mushrooms are not stacked on each other.

If you are going fully vegetarian, then the fried mushrooms will look as below without the egg coating. Still crispy and good.

Hot butter sauce for the fried mushrooms.

Place a large frying pan over low to medium heat and add the butter.

Let the butter melt and add the minced garlic.

Cook over medium heat for 1 minute.

Then add the chilli paste. You can use my chilli paste recipe, which I’ve used here.

Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes.

Add in the chopped spring onion stalks.

Cook until just wilted.

Assembling the hot butter mushroom.

Then add in the crispy deep-fried mushrooms and combine well.
Taste and season with salt if necessary, and a dash of lime juice.

Serve the hot butter mushrooms(fried mushroom stir-fry)within an hour of making it or when still warm for the best results.

FAQ: Sri Lankan Hot butter mushroom

• Can I use any other type of mushrooms?
  • I’ve used oyster mushrooms; if using any other mushrooms(button mushrooms, etc.), slice them thin so they fry quickly.
• Can I make hot butter mushrooms vegan?
  • Yes. Skip adding egg to the mixture; the natural dampness of the mushrooms holds the cornflour coating on its own. Sub — and swap the butter for a vegan butter or a neutral oil in the sauce.
• Can I use chickpea flour instead of cornflour?
  Yes, it is a common swap in vegan versions of this dish and gives the coating a slightly sandier, textured crunch.
• Why did my mushroom turn soggy?
  • There can be 2 reasons.
    • The oil wasn’t hot enough when the battered mushrooms were added to the oil.
    • Adding the spicy garlic butter sauce too long before serving it.

What to serve with hot buttered mushrooms.

• Rice dishes you can serve with hot butter mushroom fry.
  • Sri Lankan Yellow Rice(turmeric rice)
  • Easy chicken fried rice.
  • Easy lemon rice recipe.
  • How to cook rice on the stove.

• Pair with other vegetarian curries.
  • Potato curry
  • Pumpkin curry
  • Pineapple curry
  • Wambotu moju.

• Try it with other meat dishes.
  • Grandmother’s beef curry, or my mother-in-law’s beef curry
  • Spicy fish curry.
  • Chicken curry,

Storage, Freezing and Reheating guide.

• Storing in the refrigerator.
  • Can be refrigerated for 24 hours, but I do not recommend this as the texture and taste will change.
• Freezing.
  • Avoid freezing.
• Reheating.
  • Simply microwave for a few seconds to heat the fried mushrooms, but expect less crunch.
  • Stop food waste by adding the leftovers to a spicy egg stir-fry or omelette.

More mushroom recipes.

Canned mushroom curry.
Sautéed mushrooms and onions
Mushroom and peas masala curry.
Chickpeas, mushroom and pumpkin curry.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEHAN
Recipe creator. Food Blogger. Video creator
I’ve been cooking and sharing Sri Lankan recipes, along with other dishes I love making at home on Island Smile since 2015. I’ve tested every recipe on this site more than once in my own kitchen before it goes on the blog.
I grew up eating this food, and I still cook it the way my family taught me, just written down clearly enough for you to follow.
If a recipe doesn’t work the way I say it will, tell me in the comments; I read every one, and I’ll help you fix it.