Delicious Chicken Manchurian Recipe

Chicken Manchurian is an incredibly popular Indo-Chinese dish now standard fare in South Asian cuisine. Crispy fried chicken pieces, tossed in a typically spicy, sour, and mildly sweet sauce, are usually served as appetizers or with fried rice or noodles. Chicken Manchurian mirrors the more significant trend of Indo-Chinese cuisine that arose when Chinese immigrants began adapting their culinary traditions according to Indian tastes. The style is a mix of punchy flavors with a great deal of heat and versatility to cater to a larger audience. Over the years, Chicken Manchurian has witnessed various transformations, including dry versions that are served as snacks and gravy-based versions enjoyed with rice or noodles. Gobi Manchurian acts as the vegetarian version wherein cauliflower is substituted for chicken, which has its popularity.

Ingredients for the Manchurian Chicken Recipe

• 300-350 grams of boneless chicken thighs cut into one-inch pieces
• 1 small egg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• 3 tablespoons corn flour
• Ingredients for Sauce and Stir-Frying:
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 7-8 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped
• 2 green chili, finely chopped1 cup onion petals
• 1 cup green capsicum diced
• 1 cup red capsicum diced
• 2-3 tablespoons spring onion whites, sliced
• 4 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons vinegar
• ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon corn flour in 3 tablespoons water, corn flour slurry
• Spring onion greens chopped for garnishing

Preparation Steps of Chicken Manchurian

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken 

1. Pour water over the boneless chicken and cut it into small pieces. 
2. Marinate with egg, salt, white pepper powder, and ginger-garlic paste and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. After marination, coat all pieces of chicken with cornflour.

Step 2: Fry the Chicken 

1. Heat oil in a deep pan over medium heat until the frying temperature is reached. 
2. Drop each piece of coated chicken carefully into the deep frying oil with attention so that all pieces do not stick together at once. 
3. Fry in batches for about 5-6 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. 

Step 3: Prepare the Sauce 

1. Heat oil in a wok or deep pan over medium-high heat. 
2. Add chopped garlic and ginger; stir-fry until fragrant for about 15 seconds. 
3. Add green chilies and stir-fry for an additional 30 seconds. 
4. Throw in spring onion whites, onion petals, green capsicum, and red capsicum, and stir-fry. Keep the fire on high heat for about a minute so that they retain their crunch. 

Step 4: Ingredients Combine  

1. Add the tomato ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, and black pepper powder into the wok. Mix well. 
2. If consistency is too thick, add a splash of water. 
3. Mix well with the fried chicken pieces and toss thoroughly to coat everything evenly with the sauce. 

Step 5: Final Touches 

1. Pour in the prepared cornflour slurry to slightly thicken the sauce. Cook for one more minute, stirring continuously. 
2. Garnish with chopped spring onion greens, give it a final toss, and serve. 

Serving Suggestions 

Serve hot and relish as a starter or combine it with steamed rice, fried rice, or Hakka noodles for a complete meal.

Best Tips to make Chicken Manchurian

• Crisp Chicken: Hot oil ensures crispiness while frying without excess oil penetration. 
• Balanced Sauce: Adjust soy sauce, ketchup, and vinegar quantities according to your suitability for sweetness or tanginess.
• Maintain Crunch: Keep a short cooking time for the vegetables, stir-frying them quickly on high heat so they maintain their crunch.

Nutritional Values of Chicken Manchurian (Per Serving)

• Calories: 220-540 (depends on recipe)
• Proteins: 16-44g (that help in muscle building)
• Fat: 8-26g (less if grilled/baked)
• Carbs: 17-52g (depends on sauce/coating)
• Sodium: 2356-7577mg (high or low sodium soy sauce is better)

You can try our other recipes also:
1. Chicken Soup Recipe
2. Chicken Biryani
3. Chicken Nuggets Recipe

Nutritional Resources of the Dish

1. It is high in protein, supporting muscle building and repair. 
2. It has dietary fiber from veggies, which helps with digestion.
3. It is generally high in sodium due to soy sauce and other condiments and may not be suitable for people with hypertension. 
4. The amount of fat depends on how it’s cooked; grilled or pan-seared variants are healthier than deep-fried versions.
5. Carbohydrate content may depend on the sauce and other starches, such as cornflour or sugar.

Healthier Options

To make Chicken Manchurian healthier:

• For soy sauce, use less sodium to lower the sodium.
• Favor grilled or baked cooking methods over frying to minimize fat.
• More veggies should be included for more fiber and vitamins.
• Make the sauce with natural sweeteners or reduce sugar.

With lean-protein sources and healthy cooking methods, it forms a healthy part of a balanced diet!

Conclusion

Chicken Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese dish that has firmly carved a niche in the South Asian culinary facade. All dressed on a plate, the Chicken Manchurian is very versatile and, whether served as a dry appetizer or with rich gravy, varies much across all of India, Pakistan, and other distant lands, speaking of its popularity. The undying love coupled with the outside and coming of so many versions speaks for food, crossing geographical boundaries to turn the dish into a cultural icon. Even with much debate over its lineage, Chicken Manchurian remains a traditional dish, loved, evolving, yet maintaining its uniqueness.

FAQs