Recipe for Chicken Manchurian

Ingredients
Chicken - 500 gms (1 lb cut into medium sized pieces)
Capsicum - 1/2 (sliced - optional)

For the Batter

Egg - 1
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
Plain flour (maida) - 2 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Soya Sauce - 2 tsp

For Manchurian Sauce

Ginger - 2 tbsp (crushed)
Garlic - 2 tbsp (crushed)
Green Chili - 1 (finely chopped)
White Part of Spring Onion or Onion  - 1/4 cup  (finely chopped)
Red Chili Sauce - 1 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup - 2 tbsp
Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp
Vineger (or Ajinamoto) - 1 tsp
Oil  - 2 tbsp
Black Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Spring Onion (Green part) - 3-4 tbsp (chopped for garnish)
Corn Flour - 1.5 tbsp
Water -  about 3 cups (depending on sauce needed)

Method

Wash the chicken and pat it dry using a paper towel.
Take the ingredients to make the batter in a bowl. Mix the chicken pieces with this.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the pieces till it turns golden brown. Remove the cooked chicken pieces and leave it in a plate.
Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the crushed ginger, garlic, finely chopped chilies and white portion of the spring onions. Saute for few minutes.
Add the tomato ketchup, chili sauce, soy sauce and vinegar (or ajinomoto). Add the sliced capsicum.
Add the water or chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add required salt and black pepper powder. 
Mix the corn flour with about ¼ cup of water. Once it boils, the sauce will start getting thicker.

Add the chicken pieces and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Switch off and garnish with the spring onion greens.

Detailed Steps to Make Chicken Manchurian

Wash the chicken pieces. I usually buy chicken cut into medium sized pieces by the butcher. Remove all the excess wtaer using a paper towel. Take the ingredients to make the batter - the egg, corn flour, maida, salt, pepper powder and soy sauce in a mixing bowl. Mix the chicken pieces with this so that it coats all the pieces very well.


Heat oil in a kadai or pan and fry the pieces till golden brown. Traditionally the chicken pieces are deep fried in oil but I usually shallow fry the chicken.


After 7 minutes of frying on one side, flip the chicken pieces and cook for another 5 minutes.Remove the cooked chicken pieces and leave it in a plate.


Now let’s make the sauce. First mix the corn flour with about ¼ cup of water and keep aside. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the crushed ginger, garlic, finely chopped chilies and white portion of the spring onions. Saute for few minutes.


Add the tomato ketchup, chili sauce, soy sauce and vinegar (or ajinomoto). If you are adding capsicum, add it at this stage.



Add the water or chicken stock whichever you have on hand. Bring to a boil. Add required salt and black pepper powder. Taste the sauce and add a pinch of sugar if it is too sour.


Finally add the corn flour mixed water. Once it boils, the sauce will start getting thicker. Add the chicken pieces and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.


Switch off and garnish with the chopped green leaves of the spring onion.