Vegetable Manchurian

We bought an air fryer last year on Black Friday because it was extremely cheap. We did not think buying it was a good thing till I tied making Manchurian balls in it. Vegetable Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese fusion dish. I have eaten something similar in Sichuan restaurants though.

Here’s my recipe for making this dish:

Ingredients

• 1/2 small cabbage
• 1 carrot
• 1 bell pepper
• 2-3 florets cauliflower
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 inch piece of ginger
• 1 bunch green onion
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 3 tbsp corn flour/ corn starch
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 cup + 2tbsp water
• Cheesecloth or any thin cloth
• salt, pepper and oil as needed

Method

• Finely shred the cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, bell pepper and the white part of the green onions using a food processor
• Add 1 tsp salt and let it sit for 30 mins
• Transfer the vegetable mix to the cheesecloth and squeeze till most of the water has drained, then transfer to a bowl
• Finely mince the garlic cloves and ginger. I use a garlic press and a cheese grater to do this.
• Add half the garlic and ginger to the vegetable mix. Reserve the other half for the sauce
• Add 2 tbsp corn flour and 2 tbsp all purpose flour to the vegetable mix.
• Add salt and pepper as required
• Mix using your hands. Using hands to mix the ingredients will give us an idea of how wet the mixture is. The mixture should just form a ball and stay in the shape made. If it feels too wet, add a bit more corn flour. If it feels dry, add a sprinkle of water
• Divide the mixture into equal parts and roll into smooth ball.
• Preheat air fryer to 375 F for 3 minutes
• Brush the air fryer basket with a little oil and arrange the prepared balls in it. Make sure there is enough space between the balls for food air circulation. Make sure the basket is not overcrowded.
• Brush the arranged balls with a little oil as well
• Cook the balls for 16-20 mins, turning halfway. I’d start with a lower timer because cooking times can vary depending on the size.
• In the meantime, heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan
• Add the reserved ginger and garlic. Sauté till fragrant
• Add in the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar and 1 cup water
• Add salt and pepper according to taste
• In a small bowl, combine 1 tbsp corn flour and 2 tbsp cold water
• Add this mix to the prepared sauce and cook till thick
• Add the cooked Manchurian balls and mix
• Finely chop the green part of green onions and sprinkle on top for garnishing

I served the Manchurian with a side of rice. It goes pretty well with anything though. If you want to make the sauce spicy, add in a chopped green chili.

Another good thing about this recipe is that it can be frozen. I make a large amount of the vegetable balls and freeze them in portions. That way, I just need to whip up the sauce whenever required.

So, I hope you try this recipe and let me know how it went!