Have you heard of Indo-Chinese?
The recipe that I used is adapted from Holy Cow Vegan
Ingredients:
Per 8 manchurians:
For the manchurians:
- 1/4 head cabbage, shredded (I used purple cabbage)
- 2 carrot, shredded
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 serrano chili pepper or 1/2 habanero pepper, deseeded and minced (I used habanero. Adjust according to spice tolerance)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil, for cooking
For the sauce:
- 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 serrano chili pepper or 1/2 habanero pepper, deseeded and minced (I used habanero. Adjust according to spice tolerance)
- 1/2 green bell pepper, cut lengthwise and halved
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2.5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- salt to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1-2 green onions, chopped
Instructions:
- First, we make the manchurian balls. Combine all of the vegetables in a small-medium bowl and mix.
- Add the spices and mix.
- Mix the cornstarch in one tablespoon of water until diluted and add it to the vegetable mix. Add the flour and breadcrumbs, and mix until well combined.
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Heat the oil in a nonstick pan. Divide the vegetable mixture into 8 equal parts and roll each part into a ball. The mixture isn’t going to be sticky in itself, but should somewhat hold together. If it’s too liquid, add some more flour or breadcrumbs.
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Add the vegetable balls to the oil and cook for a few minutes. If you’re shallow frying like I did, flip, turn and roll the balls around periodically to cook all sides. Alternatively, you can fry them entirely.
- When cooked, transfer to a bowl or plate lined with paper towels/napkins to soak up extra oil.
- Next, we make the sauce. Make sure your vegetables are chopped and ready to go ahead of time since this sauce comes together very quickly.
- Heat the oil in a nonstick pan. Add the garlic and mix for ~30 seconds, and then add the chilli and vegetables. Stir continuously for a minute or two.
- Add all of the sauces along with the ginger. Mix to combine for a minute, and then add the vegetable/chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add salt to taste. The sauce will thicken slightly, but will still be on the thinner side.
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Dilute the corn starch in 2 tablespoons of water and gradually add it to the sauce, stirring continuously. You may not need all of the corn starch - stop adding when the sauce thickness suits your preferences.
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When you reach your desired sauce consistency, add the manchurian balls.
- Mix, and then remove from heat. Add the green onions.
- Serve with any fried rice or noodle dish (here is a fried rice recipe from my website). Enjoy!
