Chicken Manchurian
fried chicken in a dark garlic and soy gravy, the dish that built Indian Chinese
Allergens in Chicken Manchurian: gluten, egg, soy.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 600g boneless, 3cm cubes Chicken
- 5 tbsp Cornflour
- 3 tbsp Maida
- 1, beaten Egg
- 2 tbsp, finely chopped Garlicthe dish is built on garlic; do not reduce this
- 1 tbsp, finely chopped Ginger
- 6, whites and greens separated Spring Onion
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Vinegar
- 4, slit Green Chilli
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 500ml for deep frying, plus 3 tbsp for the gravy Neutral Oil
- 250ml Water
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop, kadhai
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Invented in Kolkata, not Manchuria. Nelson Wang is generally credited with it at a Bombay hotel in the 1970s.
- Fry the chicken twice. The second fry is what keeps it crisp once the gravy is on it.
Method
- Toss the chicken with the egg, 3 tbsp cornflour, the maida, salt and pepper into a thick coating.
- Deep fry on medium until pale gold, 4 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then fry again on high for 1 minute.The double fry is the whole technique. One fry and it goes soggy the moment it meets the sauce.
- In 3 tbsp oil, fry the garlic, ginger, green chilli and spring onion whites hard for 1 minute.Hard and fast. Garlic browned slowly turns bitter.
- Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water. Bring to a boil.
- Slake the remaining cornflour in cold water and stir it in until the sauce turns glossy and coats a spoon.
- Fold in the chicken, toss for 30 seconds only, and finish with the spring onion greens.Thirty seconds. Any longer and the crust you worked for is gone.
Safe temperatures: Chicken and duck are done at 74°C / 165°F, taken at the thickest part and clear of the bone. Egg dishes are done at 71°C / 160°F; a whole egg when the yolk and white are both firm. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. FoodSafety.gov
Storage
Best within the hour, which is true of anything fried and sauced. It keeps 2 days refrigerated; reheat in a hot pan, not a microwave.
Nutrition Good estimate
One serving of Chicken Manchurian (316 g) is about 497 calories, or 158 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 37 g a serving, 30% of the calories
| Per serving316 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 497 kcal | 158 kcal |
| Protein | 36.9 g | 12 g |
| Carbohydrate | 33.5 g | 11 g |
| of which sugars | 2.1 g | 1 g |
| Fibre | 1.8 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 23.3 g | 7 g |
| of which saturated | 3.4 g | 1 g |
| of which unsaturated | 18.0 g | 6 g |
Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Dairy-free Indian recipes · Indo-Chinese recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.