Vegetable Manchuria ( Veg Manchuria )

Ingredients

For The Vegetable Balls
3 cups finely chopped cabbage
1 1/4 cups carrot , grated
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 tbsp cornflour
5 tbsp plain flour (maida)
3 to 4 clove of garlic (lehsun) , finely chopped
1 slit green chilli , finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper powder to taste
oil for deep-frying

For The Sauce

1 tbsp garlic (lehsun) , finely chopped
2 tsp finely chopped green chillies
2 tsp finely chopped ginger (adrak)
1 cup clear vegetable stock or water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 cup of water
2 pinches of sugar
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method

For the vegetable balls

Combine the cabbage, carrots, onions, cornflour, plain flour, garlic, green chilli, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well.

Shape spoonfuls of the mixture into small balls. If you find it difficult to form balls, sprinkle a little water to bind the mixture.

Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.

For the sauce

Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan on a high flame. Add the garlic, green chillies and ginger and stir fry over a high flame for a few seconds.

Add the stock, soya sauce, cornflour paste, sugar and salt and simmer for a few minutes.

How to serve

Just before serving, put the vegetable balls in the sauce and bring to a boil.

Serve hot.

Tips

Add some water or vegetable stock to thin down the sauce if it is too thick.

Alternate method:

Ingredients:

for the veg manchurian balls:

1 cup grated carrot

1 cup finely chopped cabbage

½ cup finely chopped bell pepper

¼ cup finely chopped spring onion/scallion greens

½ tsp freshly crushed black pepper or black pepper powder or white pepper powder

2 tbsp all purpose flour/maida

2 tbsp cornflour

salt to taste

for the sauce:

2 tbsp onion or spring onion/scallion whites chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped celery (optional)

1 tbsp ginger

1 tbsp garlic

1 or 2 green chilies

1 tbsp corn flour dissolved in 2 tbsp water

½ tbsp soya sauce

½ tbsp vinegar – i used balsamic vinegar

1 or 1.5 cup water or vegetable stock

½ tsp freshly crushed black pepper or black pepper powder or white pepper powder

salt to taste

sugar to taste

some chopped spring onion/scallion greens for garnishing

Instructions

preparing the veg manchurian balls:

mix all the ingredients listed under veg balls.

keep aside for 15-20 minutes.

shape into small round balls and shallow fry or deep fry till golden browned on a moderately hot oil.

drain on kitchen tissues and keep aside.

preparing the sauce:

heat oil. fry the onions, ginger, garlic, chilies, celery on a high flame. there is no need to brown them.

add water or veg stock. add soy sauce, crushed black pepper,

mix well and add let the sauce simmer for 1-2 minutes.

add the cornflour paste to thicken the sauce.

thicken the sauce to your desired consistency.

add vinegar, salt, sugar and the fried veg balls. stir and simmer for a minute.

serve veg manchurian garnished with spring onion greens.

Notes

the best part of any chinese dish is you can change the consistency as per your liking. if you want a thin consistency, add some veg broth or water. if you want a thick consistency, add a few teaspoons of corn flour paste. this dish thickens after it cools down. so when reheating you may have to add some water. 

2. i have not added any msg to the recipe. if you want a more restaurant style effect, you can do so. but a word of caution. msg or mono sodium glutamate is not good for the health.

3. remember to fry the veg balls on medium heat. if they are fried on a high heat, then the outside will get cooked and the inside will be not cooked leaving a doughy taste in the mouth.

4. if they are fried on a low heat, they will absorb oil and this will make them oily and 

soggy.

5. i like the sweet sour taste of indo chinese food and hence i have added sugar to the recipe.

6. also as the soy sauce i use does not have any sugar added to it. you may avoid this or check the ingredients list in your soy sauce if sugar is there in it or not. you can also add tomato sauce for some tang and sweetness.