Veg Manchurian with Gravy Restaurant Style

Veg Manchurian is a popular Indo-Chinese dish made from vegetable meatballs dipped in cornflour and then deep-fried and served in gravy. In this recipe, they’re fried, rather than deep-fried with a thick, flavorful gravy spiced with ginger, garlic, and chilis. Serve this favorite dish with a side of fried rice.

Ingredients:

For Manchurian balls

• 1 ¼ cup cabbage finely chopped
• ½ cup carrot grated (1 medium)
• ¼ cup French beans (finely chopped, can skip but adds flavor)
• 2 tablespoons capsicum grated or minced
• ¼ cup spring onions finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons corn flour or corn starch
• 3 tablespoons plain flour or maida (prefer organic)
• ¼ to ½ cup bread crumbs (optional, use if making gravy version)
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon pepper crushed
• 1 teaspoon GINGER GARLIC PASTE
• Salt very little
• Oil as needed for frying

For Manchurian sauce

• 1½ tablespoons oil
• ¾ tablespoons garlic finely chopped
• ½ tablespoons ginger finely chopped
• ¼ cup spring onions finely chopped
• ¼ cup capsicum or bell peppers finely chopped
• 1 tablespoons soya sauce
• 2 tablespoons red chili sauce
• 1 teaspoon vinegar or tomato ketchup as needed (or apple cider vinegar)
• ¾ tablespoons corn flour or corn starch or arrowroot powder (1 tsp for dry)
• ¼ cup water to dissolve corn starch(2 tbsps for dry)
• 1 cup water or veg stock for gravy (½ cup for dry)
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder or 1 tsp red chili paste (optional, used for color)
• 1 ½ tablespoons water to make chili paste
• Salt as needed
• 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon pepper coarsely crushed

Instructions

Preparation for Manchurian

1. Allow the veggies to come to room temperature first.
2. Cut cabbage to 4 quarters and keep them immersed in luke warm water for 3 to 4 mins.
3. Drain the water and rinse them well. Drain and chop them finely.
4. Air dry the cabbage for a while to remove excess moisture.
5. You can also process all the veggies in a food processor.
6. Wash and peel the carrots and grate them.
7. Chop the beans, spring onions & bell peppers. Mince the ginger and garlic.

Making veg balls

1. Add the prepared veggies, corn flour, plain flour, ginger garlic paste, pepper & salt to a mixing bowl. Mix everything well.
2. You can also add bread crumbs to make the balls extra crisp.
3. Mix everything well and make lemon sized balls. The balls must bind well without breaking.
4. You can also optionally roll these balls in corn starch.
5. You can make about 12 to 14 balls. Set aside all the vegetable balls.
6. Frying balls – Heat oil in a deep pan for deep frying.
7. Check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a small portion of the dough in hot oil.
8. The dough has to come up without browning. This is the right temperature.
9. Gently slide the balls in hot oil & fry on a medium flame.
10. Do not disturb them for 1 min after the balls are dropped in oil.
11. They will be delicate and may break if you have not used bread crumbs.
12. After few seconds of frying, you can keep stirring and fry until they turn golden.
13. Drain them on a kitchen tissue.
14. Baking in Oven – Preheat the oven and bake the balls on a greased wire rack placed over a tray at 200 C for 20 to 23 mins.
15. Turn them to the other sides after every 8 mins.
16. Please be alert as the timings may vary depending on the size of the balls.

Making Manchurian sauce

1. Heat oil in a pan, then add ginger garlic and saute for a min.
2. Add spring onions and capsicum. Saute for 1 to 2 mins on a high flame without burning.
3. While these fry dissolve corn flour in water.
4. Lower the heat, then add soya sauce, red chilli sauce and red chilli paste.
5. Stir the corn flour, pour it to the pan.
6. Next stir gently and pour water. Stir and taste the mixture.
7. Add vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar all to suit your taste.
8. The sauce should taste slightly sour, hot and sweet.
9. Keep stirring and cook on a medium flame until the sauce thickens.
10. Do not cook till very thick. The sauce will thicken further after cooling.
11. Switch off the stove and allow the sauce to cool for 1 to 2 mins.
12. Boiling hot sauce will make the veg balls soft and will lose the crispness.

How to make veg Manchurian

1. Add the veg balls to the sauce just before serving. Garnish with spring onions.
2. Serve veg Manchurian with veg fried rice or noodles

Tips

1. Do not add a lot of flour or starch to the mixed veggies as they make the Manchurian balls hard. Instead you can add bread crumbs.
2. Adding too much of bread crumbs will alter the taste of the balls. You should not have the taste of bread in the balls. So add more only if needed.
3. The Manchurian balls can be fried in the paniyaram pan, just skip the flour and beans. Use only the bread crumbs. Fry them on a medium flame turning them all around for even cooking.
4. If frying the balls in the paniyaram pan then, ensure you do not make the balls too big. I cook these in a cast iron pan so they cook well inside but I am not sure if they turn out good in a non stick.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time : 25 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Veg Manchurian can be served as a appetizer or as a side with

• FRIED RICE
• VEG NOODLES
• HAKKA NOODLES

How to make Chinese Fried Rice (Vegetarian) Restaurant Style Recipe