Veg Manchurian is one of the popular and delicious Indo-Chinese restaurant-style starter dishes. It is basically a fusion food that involves Chinese cooking techniques and Indian ingredients. This Vegetable Manchurian is usually prepared with deep-fried veggie dumplings stirred in a manchurian sauce that has aromatics and a combination of sauces.
Take a wide bowl and add the finely chopped vegetables. Meanwhile, keep some oil for heating in a pan or kadhai over medium flame.
Next, add black pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, salt, cooking soda, refined wheat flour (maida), and cornflour.
Mix all the ingredients well. Next, apply some pressure and knead so that the water content from the veggies starts oozing out. Note: Do not knead like roti dough.
Continue to mix until the mixture forms a dough.
Wet your hand and take a tablespoon of veggie mixture in your palm. Press and roll it in your palm to make a ball (need not be a perfect round). If the mixture forms a ball, continue to do the same for the rest of the dough.If the mixture is too wet and sticks to the hands, then add 1 tablespoon of cornflour and all-purpose flour each. Mix well and try again until you can shape the veggie mixture. The mixture will still be sticky but you will be able to form it into rounds.
Make veggie balls and place them on a plate. You can lightly wet your hand or grease your palms while making the vegetable balls.
Frying the Vegetable balls
Carefully drop a batch of vegetable balls one by one into the hot oil. You can roll the vegetable ball once before adding it to the oil. Do not stir for 10-20 seconds or until the outer layer sets.
Stir with a slotted spoon and fry the balls over medium-low heat until light golden color. Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the balls in batches depending on the size of your pan.
Transfer them to a plate and fry the rest of the balls. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes. The residual heat will continue to cool the balls from the inside.
Now heat the oil once again until very hot and flash fry (fry the half-fried manchurian balls until golden brown and crispy).
Drain and transfer them to a plate. See how manchurian balls are looking crispier from the outside.
Make the Manchurian sauce and toss the balls in the sauce
Heat oil in a wok over a high flame.
Add minced garlic, ginger, green chilies, and finely chopped onions. Saute on high flame to impart char flavor. Saute until onions turn soft. Do not let them change color.
Turn the flame to low and add the sauce mix.
Add salt and black pepper powder.
Cook til the sauce begins to bubble and thickens a bit in the pan.
Add the fried manchurian balls and stir fry quickly so that the balls absorb the sauce yet they stay crispy.
Add roughly chopped coriander leaves and spring onion greens.
Give a stir. Restaurant style Veg Manchurian is ready.Serve hot as a snack or pair it as a side dish with your choice of fried rice or noodles.
Notes
Finely chop the veggies. If the cut of the vegetables is big, you will face difficulty in shaping the mixture. You can finely chop with a sharp knife, use a food processor, or hand-operated vegetable chopper.Do not add water to the vegetable mixture. Double-fry the vegetable balls for a crispier texture.To increase the spice add more green chili sauce and can add red chili sauce too.