Veggie Manchurian!

Wikipedia says that Indian Chinese or more commonly known as Indo-Chinese cuisine is the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques to Indian tastes. I say that this is the tastiest food EVER!

Veggie Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese staple - 3 step recipe below!

Step 1  - Make veggie balls

·         2 cups shredded cabbage + carrots (I used a finely chopped cole slaw mix J)

·         ½ cup finely chopped onions

·         2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic & green chillies

·         1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         Maida + Cornflour – a couple of teaspoons (always in the 1:3 ratio)

·         Salt to taste

·         Oil to deep fry

Mix all the above ingredients– add water (a couple of teaspoons at a time) and mix until you can form balls. Water is only added to aid in the forming of the balls – this shouldn’t be soggy. At the same time the balls shouldn’t be too dry as they might disintegrate while frying.  

Once the balls are done, deep fry them in any healthy oil (ahem…), drain and arrange them in the dish you want to serve it in. This will make about 15-20 balls.

To make cauliflower or mushroom manchurian, replace the shredded cabbage+carrots with slightly blanched cauliflower or mushrooms that have been wiped clean-  the additional ingredients are the same.

Step 2 – Make the sauce

·         2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

·         2 tablespoons or more finely chopped green chillies

·         1 cup of cold water

·         2 teaspoons of cornflour

·         2 teaspoons of low sodium soy sauce

·         Maggi Chilli sauce OR Maggi hot & sweet tomato ketchup

·         Handful of finely chopped cilantro + green onions for garnish

In a hot wok, add a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add garlic and green chillies. In a separate cup, mix the cornflour, cold water and soy sauce. Make sure the water is cold, otherwise the cornflour will not mix. Add this to the wok – keep stirring and let it thicken.

When it seems cooked through, add ketchup and as much water to make the amount of sauce you need. I didn’t add much water as I wanted to serve this as an appetizer without much gravy. If you want to make an entrée, add more gravy.

I did not add any additional salt to the sauce as the soy sauce & Maggi ketchup both have sodium.

Step 3 = Steps 1+2 (this is easy! J)

Once you have the consistency you need, add the sauce to the balls in the serving dish. Garnish with cilantro and green onions, serve and watch them disappear.

The sauce and balls can be made and refrigerated up to a day in advance.