MANCHURIAN GRAVY

Veg Manchurian is a lip-smacking Indo-Chinese dish made with deep fried veg bells in a soya sauce based thick Manchurian gravy. Veg Manchurian is a popular starter too where it is served dry, however in this post, I am sharing the recipe of Manchurian gravy which is a perfect side dish for a fried rice.

We Indians love the Chinese food that is available in the restaurants and fast-food joints as it is spicy, sour, tangy and kindles your taste buds. Veg manchurian is one such restaurant favourite dish both in the starters as well as an accompaniment in the mains.

Technically speaking, the items which are served as ‘Chinese’ in most restaurants are not authentic Chinese dishes and fall under a fusion category called ‘Indo-Chinese’. I would say this cuisine is custom built by modifying some of the Chinese cooking techniques to suit our Indian palette. I am sure if you go to China or an authentic Chinese food joint, you would not find Veg Manchurian in their menu. But hey, who cares about it, as ultimately what matters is the taste and how well you enjoy your food.

Indo-Chinese cooking makes use of plenty of fresh and crunchy veggies in the dishes and some of the most common ones being cabbage, carrots, beans, spring onions and green capsicum. These veggies are the dominant ingredients in most of the veg Indo-Chinese dishes and Veg Manchurian being no exception is also made with grated carrots, cabbage and capsicum which are mixed with some plain flour and corn flour and some seasoning and turned into small balls and deep fried. It is then tossed in a manchurian gravy made with plenty of garlic, onions, capsicum, soya sauce, red chilli sauce, ketchup and fresh black pepper.

Veg Manchurian gravy pairs best with a Veg Fried rice or Schezwan Fried rice. It also goes well with Veg Hakka Noodles. This same recipe when made with a thick sauce which is just enough to coat the veg balls, can be served as a starter.