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I believe that salt is to food, what food is to life. In right proportions, it can heighten the taste of what you eat..and in the wrong - destroy! Even the most delicious sweets come added with some salt...to taste!

As for me, I've never enjoyed cooking. And as contrary to my owning a food-blog as it may sound, I always think about daily, routine cooking as a chore. But my tryst with the pots and pans began when I got a kitchen all to myself...I began experimenting and exploring new worlds in my own home. Some outcomes were excellent and some plain disasters. Then sprouted the need to keep track of all those good ones...and hence this blog!

Here, I share those experiments that pleased more than one palate!




July 27, 2010

Chicken Manchurian

I have'nt till date met a person who despises Manchurian - chicken or otherwise. It's no surprise that this dish has found its way to the streets of India. And, as always, we Indians manage to add our 'tadka' to everything that hits our shore - be it food or anything else! Indo-Chinese cuisine is one such product. Like Chinese food itself was'nt hearty and filling, we jazz it up to suit our tastebuds and churn out plate after plate on every other street/restaurant.

I can still feel the heat from the chillies in the Cauliflower Manchurian and Vegetable Noodles I used to eat at least twice a week at the street-food vendor back in my college days. Some metabolism I had, eh?! Oh, that feels like ages ago and I am beginning to feel old saying all this. So , before I get way too nostalgic, let me get down to sharing this scrummy recipe with you!
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Ingredients
2 lb Chicken breasts (You can use bone-in or boneless) - Washed and cut into bite sized pieces
1/4th Cup Cornflour dissolved in 3/4 cup of water
5 Cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2inch stick of Ginger, grated
1 Cup Onions, julienned
3/4 Cup Chopped Scallions (Green Onions)
3 Green Chillies, chopped
1/4 Cup Fresh Coriander sprigs, chopped
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2-3 tbsp Chilie sauce
1/2 tsp Red Chillie powder
1/2 tsp Ajinomoto (I just use very little to give the dish some authentic Chinese flavour. This is optional. You can use only regular salt, too, if you're not feeling that indulgent)
Oil
And, of course, some salt to taste!

Method
- Heat oil in a wok/kadai
- Stir the cornflour in the water to form a thin batter. Add some salt and the red chillie powder to this to give it some flavour
- Dip the chicken pieces in this batter and deep fry. Place fried chicken pieces on paper towel drain any excess oil. Oh, yeah let's try to get a wee bit close to being healthy at least at one step ;)
- Now in a shallow saucepan, heat about 2 tbsp. of oil and add the green chillies, garlic, ginger and onions and stir until the onions are transparent
- Add the coriander and stir further
- Lower the flame and pour in the sauces
- Now add ajonomoto and some more salt and fry for a good minute on a medium flame
- Toss in half the scallions and fry for about 30 seconds
- Add fried chicken pieces and fry until well coated with sauce mixture
- Sprinkle left over scallions and serve hot

SERVES 2-3

14 comments:

  1. Fingerlicking and mouthwatering chicken manchurians...yummm!

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  2. chicken manchurians looks delicious n tempting ...

    Satya
    http://www.superyummyrecipes.com

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  3. wow luscious chicken manchurian ... :)

    Very true , even this picture makes me feel so nostalgic and my stomach used to manage so many street foods earlier.. I dunno why its not able to cope up with it now :(...

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  4. oh reminds of indian street food deeps..i want to go back just to eat..yum yum

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  5. i make gobi corn too and they r a hit here..
    oh deeps u reminded me of indian street foods..craving craving,,yum yum

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  6. looks super duper yum n tempting.fabuloussssssss...love it...mmmmmm..mmmm..mmmm..betn hru doing darling..sorry was nt able to mail u,wil write shortly..tc

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  7. It's been long since I had any manchurian...looks soooo tempting!! very nice click :) Need to hit Indo-chinese next..

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  8. Oh So Yum!! This one is a keeper..thanks:)

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  9. Thank you ladies!

    @ Ramya - You just got back from a vacation home...better stop complaining!

    @ Sanyukta - No worries. Write when you can.

    @ Pavithra - It's called age :P I dunno how old you are, but with me, I defn. will do good to myself with eating all this sorta food only once in way. Yet, yet, yet when I go to India I can hear all the street food call out my name like long lost friends! LOL!

    @ Preeti - Do try and let me know!

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  10. Vegeterians can user Gobi (Cauli flower)instead of Chicken.
    I personally have prepared Gobi manchurian many a times more or less similar reciepe,only difference is I used Maida and 1 tsp corn flour.

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  11. Good Information. Thank you for sharing and I want to share information about Tandoori Chef which is An authentic North Indian, fine dining restaurant, Tandoori Chef offers Hackensack and the surrounding area a wonderful taste of Indian cuisine.

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  12. @ Thandoori Chef - Will drop by your restaurant if we come towards that part of the state. Thanks for dropping by my blog.

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  13. Sorry, typo. I meant 'Tandoori' and not Thandoori.

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  14. Good Information. Thank you for sharing and I want to share information about Madras Bistro which provides our guests with an authentic North and South Indian vegetarian dining experience. We are located in Hackensack, New Jersey and serve a wide selection of dishes representing the tastes of India.

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