There are two main oyster mushroom varieties: king oyster and pearl oyster. They both have meaty textures and flavors, but pearl oyster mushrooms are shaped in a way that more accurately imitates the form of chicken. Since oyster mushrooms grow on wood and not in dirt, they require minimal cleaning.
Once you’ve given them a quick rinse, you can pat them dry, tear them into medium to large pieces, and place them in a bowl. As with chicken tikka masala, you’ll create a marinade to coat the oyster mushrooms using the same spice mixture as the tikka masala sauce. While traditional chicken marinades usually use yogurt as the liquid ingredient, vegan oyster mushroom marinade uses neutral vegetable oil.
You can pour the marinade over the mushrooms, making sure to coat them evenly before transferring them to a baking sheet to roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Halfway through the roasting process, flip the mushrooms over for evenly crispy edges. Roasting will concentrate their flavors and firm up their texture to most closely match chicken.
While the mushrooms are roasting, you can prepare the tikka masala sauce, frying the spices and aromatics to release their fragrance and intensify their flavors before adding tomato puree and coconut milk. Once the mushrooms have finished roasting, add them to the simmering sauce and serve.
