Indo-chinese cuisine is one of the most popular in the country and for a good reason. May it be chicken manchurian, chilli paneer, or just a plain bowl of chowmein, the cuisine offers a burst of flavours that no one can resist. While the inspiration is major Chinese cooking techniques, local spices and flavours are incorporated in these recipes to create a blend that will have you wanting it more.
One of the most commonly made of them all is the chicken manchurian recipe. Hearty and spicy, chicken manchurian is as amazing as an appetiser, as it is a main course, when paired with noodles or rice. Beginner friendly, and easily customisable, the chicken manchurian recipe is a must try.
All you need for chicken manchurian
The base of the chicken manchurian recipe is the crunchy and flavourful manchurian balls. To make these, the chicken manchurian ingredients you’ll need are chicken cubes, an egg white, ginger garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, corn flour, and soya sauce. You can also use minced chicken instead of chicken cubes in the chicken manchurian ingredients if you want the texture to be smoother. For a kick of spice, replace the red chilli powder with finely chopped green chillies. Not only does this add texture but also elevates the overall flavour.
For the chicken manchurian gravy recipe, you’d also need vegetables like onions, garlic, cabbage, and carrots, all finely chopped. For the coating sauce in the chicken manchurian recipe, you’d also need red chilli sauce and vinegar. If you are making this chicken manchurian recipe in the winter season, you can also add julienned ginger to the vegetables required for the chicken manchurian gravy recipe.
Here’s how to make chicken manchurian recipe
- Mix all the chicken manchurian ingredients to make the manchurian balls. Let this mix sit for an hour for a flavourful chicken manchurian. Thereafter, make small balls of this mix to be deep-fried. In case, you have opted for chicken cubes, fry these batter-laden pieces till they’re golden and crisp.
- Keep these aside, and prep for the coating chicken manchurian sauce. In a bowl, mix corn flour and cold water, and keep aside. In another bowl, mix soya sauce, vinegar, and red chilli sauce, and keep aside. It is always advisable to keep the mixes ready before you start cooking the sauce or the gravy.
- In a pan, heat some oil, add the finely chopped vegetables, and saute on high flame. Once the onions are translucent, add the sauce, and the cornflour slurry. Mix well. To this, add water, and bring to a boil. If you want a dry chicken manchurian dish, then add less water but if you’re going for the chicken manchurian gravy recipe, then add water accordingly.
- Once it comes to a boil, and the gravy is ready, add the fried manchurian balls, and toss them well so that they’re fully coated in the chicken manchurian sauce. You can garnish this chicken manchurian recipe with chopped spring onion, and serve it piping hot to your guests.
Variants of the chicken manchurian recipe
If you have dietary restrictions or simply want different variations of the chicken manchurian recipes, you’re in luck. Not only can the chicken be substituted with vegetarian options like paneer, but you can also go vegan with tofu, cauliflower, or tempeh. If you are opting for a minced texture, you can also mix the aforementioned options or use grated cabbage and carrots mixed with refined flour to make the manchurian balls.
If variants are what you’re looking for, try mixing vegetables with chicken for a textural twist. The chicken gobi manchurian is sure to be a hit. You can also borrow some flavours from other chicken dishes in the Indo-Chinese cuisines and create your own chicken chilli manchurian recipe. Chilli chicken is towards dry and uses hot spicy sauces, and both these features can be easily incorporated into a chicken manchurian recipe.