Who doesn't love a twist & that too a Sriracha one? ~ Garlic & red chilli Vegetable Manchurian (dry) ~

Garlic & red chilli manchurian (dry) served with a side of vegetable fried rice

In one of our numerous chat sessions, as my conversation with my Chinese friend/colleague veered towards Sino-Indian relationship, the cultural differences and similarities, we couldn't help but contemplate on the amalgamation of Indian intricacies into Chinese cooking. It veered towards a very interesting conversation about cooking styles, spices used, favorite dishes etc. etc. and she was extremely amused to know that there prevailed a very popular fusion cuisine known as "Indo-Chinese". She had never heard of it (of course..who has unless they are from India?), and seemed intrigued by the names of dishes I was hurling at her. Manchurian, Mixed chowmein...wait what? Manchurian...what's that?

As I pondered on it a bit more, I assumed that although it's never really surprising to find tastes transcending national/international boundaries to give rise to a melange of flavors, the popularity of Indo-Chinese cuisine in India is something you have to see, to believe. This cuisine which started out as an assimilation of Indian sensibilities and beliefs into everyday cooking of the Chinese immigrants, has now been taken to a whole new level. While it's almost natural for immigrants in any country to adapt to the new place they call home (who better than me to attest to the fact that that's a very effective way to transform a dish to make their own), this fusion cooking style has perpetrated almost every nook and corner of the country. Anyone captivated by the cuisine has their own special version and everybody is right.

While my parents had no such inclination towards this form of cooking, I would happily assume that the rise of the "Chowmein-Manchurian" culture took place sometime when we were growing up. I am so elated (& grateful) to belong to a generation that grew up with the oh-so-delicious Indo-Chinese. Although my Ma never had much exposure to this cuisine, I still swear by her mixed Chowmein, Chicken Manchurian and Vegetable Manchurian that she so enthusiastically made. This is my version of the much loved Manchurian with some of my favorite spice additions. Who said that good just cannot become better? Well, here it is:

~Garlic & Red Chilli Vegetable Manchurian (dry) ~

The plate to devour!

Veggie fritters spiced with Sriracha (red chilli sauce) & crispy garlic bits are tossed with cubes of red bell peppers, assorted sauces and some more crispy garlic. Served hot garnished with a generous sprinkling of finely sliced green onions. Perfect as an appetizer all by itself or a fabulous side dish with Roasted Garlic fried rice or the Chilli garlic chowmein.

Ingredients:

¼ C Garlic – Chopped and crisped over medium heat. Used divided between fritters and sauce.

For the Garlic Veggie balls:

1 C Shredded Cabbage

½ C Carrots (shredded)

½ C Beans (Shredded)

1 tsp Chopped green chillies (Optional)

3 T Corn Flour

¼ C All Purpose Flour 

2 T Sriracha or Red Chilli Sauce

2 T Tomato Sauce

Pinch of salt

2 T Crispy garlic (mentioned above)

Oil for frying.

Sauce:

3 T Oil (in which you fried the garlic)

½ C Capsicum/Bell Pepper – In Cubes

Make a paste of the following:

1 T Dark Soy Sauce

1 T White vinegar

1 T Sriracha or Red Chilli Sauce

1 T Tomato Sauce
½ tsp Brown sugar

2 T Water

2 T Crispy garlic

Method:

1.     In a pan over medium heat, add 2 T of oil and sauté the garlic till its fragrant and light brown in color. Be vigilant since garlic burns really easily. Scoop out the garlic and set aside. They become crispy as they cool.

2.     In a wide-mouthed bowl, mix in all the ingredients for the garlicky veggie Manchurian balls. The batter should be thick so that you can make balls out of it. Add in a few drops of water if it’s too thick. I use the 1 T ice cream scoop to make similar sized balls. Make the balls and set aside.

3.     Heat up the oil over medium heat in a deep pan and fry the balls till they are golden brown in color. Keep it warm in an oven at 200oF.

4.     In the pan you fried the garlic, add in some more oil and sauté the chopped bell peppers (~30 secs).

5.     Make a paste of all the sauces along with water and add into the oil and peppers.

6.     After it boils, toss in the Manchurian balls till it soaks in all the goodness of the flavorful sauces. Adjust for salt if required.

7.     Serve hot with a generous sprinkle of green onions and some more crispy garlic.

A close look at the manchurian balls

While this dish tastes absolutely lip smackingly delicious just by itself, I served it with a side of vegetable fried rice. You could also try the Roasted Garlic fried rice or the Chilli garlic chowmein to up the garlic fest.

Till next time!
J

Bursts of "garlic-ness" - Roasted garlic fried rice

When renowned chef and culinary writer, Louis Diat said “There are five elements: earth, air, fire, water and garlic”, he echoed my sentiments quite exactly. I couldn’t possibly deny because in my tiny world it does represent the fifth essential life force. I have always been a “add-some-more-garlic please” person (well, who isn’t?). It’s one magical pod of intense flavor that perks many a dull, somber dish. But the hundredth (or maybe thousandth) dimension of this multi-faceted little pod is its very surprising aspect - mild sweetness. Very surprised right?

I couldn’t ever imagine garlic being sweet AT all, before having been to Gilroy of course. In fact, I was quite apprehensive, when I stopped by Gilroy (The garlic capital of the world) to taste some garlic ice-cream. Just out of sheer curiosity, I tasted it. I must agree that I found the concept of garlic ice cream a little too weird but I must mention that the sweetness and intense flavor was something to commend. That kind of convinced me to believe what many say-“Garlic can be sweet and buttery”.

I have always been intrigued by the mild sweetness and the intensification of flavors in the roasted garlic fried rice at one of the popular restaurants. It always made me wonder - How do they manage that? So one fine day while watching my usual line up of cooking shows of Food network, it struck me. That’s how they do it!! Garlic is roasted over medium temperatures over long time till soft, mushy and lightly browned. It does taste amazingly sweet, buttery and yes intensely garlicky! Been quite a revelation. So while deciding the menu for the Indo-Chinese theme party, I had to make the roasted garlic fried rice. It was the obvious choice which went well with the line-up of dishes – Chili chicken and Vegetable Manchurian.

Roasted Garlic Fried Rice

Garlic is roasted slowly over medium low flame till soft, buttery and golden brown to impart this dish with a subtle hint and a boost to the regular Indo-Chinese fried rice. Paired with crunchy veggies and assorted sauces, this simple dish will give enough reason for your guests to ponder about the whereabouts of the mysterious hidden garlicky goodness.

Ingredients:

1 whole garlic + 5-6 pods (Depends on the size of the pods)

1 T oil for roasting

2 C Basmati rice or any long grained rice

3 ½  C Chicken stock or water

¼ tsp salt (Optional)

4 T Sesame chili oil (Use regular oil if unavailable)

½ C Cubed carrots

½ C finely diced green beans

½ C Cubed red bell pepper (I used red bell pepper for its sweetness and color, substitute with any other colored bell pepper if you want)

½ C cubed green bell pepper

1 T finely chopped green chilies

1 T White vinegar (Adjust according to taste)

1 T Tomato sauce

1 T Green Chili sauce

½ C Finely chopped green onions

Method:

1. Roasting the garlic – Peel all the garlic pods and mix it in with 1 T oil, pinch of salt and pepper and place it in the oven at 375oC for about 15-20mins (depending on your oven). Stir after 10 mins and take them out when soft and golden brown. Let it cool. Keep 3-5 cloves aside and make a fine paste of the rest.
Note: This can also be done over the stove. Make sure the pan is over medium low heat and will require frequent stirring for over all roasting.

2. Soak basmati rice for ~15-20 mins. Bring 3 1/2 cups of chicken stock to boil and add in the soaked basmati rice. Stir in 1/4 tsp of salt. Cook till water evaporates and let it cool.

3. Heat oil in a wok. Add in the roasted garlic paste. Stir for 5 secs and add in the veggies as written in order, letting the first veggie to cook for 1-2 mins before adding the next one.
Tip: To reduce cooking time of the veggies on the stove, place them in the microwave for 1-2 mins to steam them a bit. Then toss in the wok over medium-high flame to roast them.Do not overcook else they will lose their color and crunchiness.

4. Once the veggies are cooked (2-3 mins max.), toss in the rice along with the sauces and mix well.Adjust the sauce accordingly. Garnish with green onions finely sliced roasted garlic and serve piping hot with Chili chicken or Vegetable Manchurian.
Tip: You could also serve this with strips of egg omelete and call it a whole meal by itself. Great for kids!

This recipe finally satisfied my curiosity about the intense garlic fried rice served in restaurants and made me a very happy girl. One important note though, when making it for more people, prepare everything in advance but just toss it all in right before serving. This ensures that the rice remains soft yet separate and has the freshly roasted garlic flavor. Now I am glad to have found another recipe for the Indo-Chinese spread of dishes.

Have a great rest of the week folks!
Ciao,
J

I am submitting this recipe to:

- "Show me your hits:Rice" hosted by Sangee and Vardhini.
- Jashn-E-Azaadi hosted by Preeti's Kitchen.
- "30 minute meals" hosted by Srivalli  
-  "Desi Vidheshi food fest" hosted by Kalyani
- "Bon Vivant-Rice recipes" hosted by Sumee

Going the veggie route, the Indo-Chinese way- Vegetable Manchurian

Most likely you wouldn't agree if I were to say that it takes a LOT of work into pulling off an Indo-Chinese theme party successfully or....would you? I wouldn't believe it AT all, if I had not been the one to slog for it.  So the story begins with inviting a few friends over for dinner and asking for their preferences. I got a special request for the Chili chicken that I had posted earlier in the blog. Honoring their wishes, I zeroed in on the Chili Chicken as the main dish. But with vegetarians in the group, I had to include a vegetarian dish.

The planning went into a slight disarray when just two days before the big day, my adviser decided to pile on some work and of course I got immersed into it UNTIL the day before the party. So much to be done and so little time!! Phew..shopping for ingredients, chopping the veggies, marinating chicken, the list was really endless. Seeking someone's help was not an option..so all this in so little time. Going by the Indo Chinese theme - I zeroed in on Veggie Manchurian or Gobi Manchurian as the vegetarian main dish and roasted garlic fried rice. Choosing between veggie or Gobi Manchurian was tricky and I finalized with the Veggie Manchurian mostly because it made me feel at home.

This particular recipe for veggie Manchurian dates back to one of the numerous awaited Wednesdays growing up. We would look forward to every Wednesday as a special occasion since that was the only day when all of us could eat non vegetarian food without any reservations. Most of these days, we would insist on eating Chinese and my Ma would happily oblige by making us some Vegetable Manchurian. Actually, I guess she was more than happy to oblige to any demands that included veggies and that too loads of it!!

So here's the recipe with notes/tips that will make your life a little more easier-I promise!

Vegetable Manchurian

Fried cabbage, carrot and spring onion rounds soaking up the essence of a lightly thickened broth seasoned with garlic and assorted sauces. Served with roasted garlic fried rice, it makes for a great Indo-Chinese combo.

Ingredients:

Serves: 3-4

Makes ~25 small veggie balls

For the veggie balls:

1 C grated carrots
1½ C Finely grated cabbage
½ C finely chopped Bell pepper/Capsicum

½ C Chopped spring onions.

½ C All purpose flour/Maida
½ C Cornstarch
½ tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Sugar
½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Kashmiri Chili powder (Optional)
1 T lemon juice (Optional)

Oil (for frying)

For the sauce:

1 T Chopped garlic

1 T Chopped spring onions (Optional)
½ T Dark Soy sauce
2 T Chili sauce
2 T Tomato ketchup

1 T White vinegar
2 T brown sugar (Use normal sugar if brown sugar is unavailable)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper powder

3 T Cornstarch + 1/4 C Lukewarm water

2 C Water

Method:

1. Add in all the ingredients for the veggie balls into a bowl and mix well. The mixture should be wet enough to form a ball.

Tip: Adding salt to the veggies makes them sweat, releasing water. So eventually the batter might feel dry but let it sit for a few minutes and you will have the desired consistency. On the other hand, if you leave it for too long, the mixture will become watery and in that case, adjust with more all purpose flour and salt. It always advisable to prepare the mixture right before frying.

2. Use a 1 T scoop for making the balls and fry over medium to low heat for about 2-3 minutes till golden brown. Keep aside.

Tip: These could be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Right before serving, warm them up in the oven and soak them with the sauce.

3. In a separate pan over medium heat, add oil and sauté the minced garlic till fragrant. Add in the white part of the spring onions and sauté for a minute more. While the garlic & spring onions are cooking, in a bowl, mix in soy sauce, chili sauce, tomato sauce and vinegar in 2 C water and add it to the pan with garlic and spring onions.

4. Warm about 1/4 C of water and mix in cornstarch to form a smooth mixture. Add this mixture by the spoonful into the sauce mixture while stirring constantly. Let the mixture come up to a boil and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes till the desired consistency is achieved. Now the desirable consistency is the one where the sauce is not too thick nor is it too thin. Alter it according to what you like.

5. About 10 minutes before serving , add in the fried veggie balls to the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes and serve hot with fried rice or chowmein.

Notes to self:

1. Adding brown sugar to the sauce adds that smokiness and depth to the sauce and also contributes to the golden brown hue.

2. Soaking the balls in the sauce for too long could make them crumble.

3. Make sure to taste everything as you go, so that you catch the mistake while its still mendable.

4. Don't panic if the sauce is too watery or dense - everything is reparable!
5. Achieving the perfect sauce consistency depends a lot on the stove heat used and the consistency of the sauces. There's no need to worry if you don't achieve it right away. Playing with the cornstarch mixture and the water content solves it all. Just make sure to simmer the mixture so that cornstarch gets cooked.

One very essential variation in my preparation is that while ajinomoto was integral to our home prepared Indo-Chinese dishes..(when we weren't quite aware of the repercussions),I opted out of it with concern for my guests. But oh boy does it make the food taste 1000 times flavorful or what? No wonder it can be addictive. I might be damned to say this..but Indo Chinese food does NOT taste the same without MSG/ajinomoto.Sigh.

An important lesson learnt from my tryst with Indo-Chinese cooking at a mass scale, is that these dishes HAVE to be dished out right around the time when guests are ready to eat, else they definitely lose their essence. I could have really loved some help with the preparation, but I guess that's how lessons are learnt and I learnt my own. So next time you plan to dish out these recipes on a large scale, make sure you have plenty of preparation done in advance and of course, some help couldn't hurt either.

Submitting this post to:
- "Walk through memory lane" by Kalyani and Gayatri.
 - Kalyani and Vardhini for "Kitchen Chronicles – Only Vegan : Event Announcement".
- "Warm foods to beat the rain" hosted by The Pumpkin farm and Srivalli.
- "Desi Vidheshi food fest" hosted by Kalyani
- "Walk through memory lane" hosted by Archana and Gayatri
 - "30 minute meals" hosted by Srivalli 

Indo-Chinese Birthday Meal Part I - Chili Chicken

Growing up, birthdays have always been very special. It was the day when I was treated like a real princess. The excitement the night before, the preparations building up for the big day and the day itself was filled with anticipation and exhilaration. It made me look forward with eagerness and feel so valued and celebrated. It would all start with the dress - "THE birthday dress" and then finding the "right" chocolates to distribute among friends. The day would begin with a visit to a temple to seek divine blessings and then the exhilaration of the day escalated with reaching school. The flurry of activity leading up to the big day made April such a lovely month for me.

But as I grow up and the child in me gives way to a more matured self, surprisingly I find myself cringing when my birthday comes up.The excitement has of course diminished and all I truly desire is a quiet evening with close friends, good food and some heart to heart conversations. And that's exactly what I got for this birthday - great food and fantastic company. So last weekend - i.e. my birthday weekend,  on public demand I went on to make Chow Mein for dinner and soon after the classic partner cropped up to mind - Chili Chicken. With everyone's help, it seemed like a breeze and was quite a success. My first birthday meal for this year.

Chili Chicken and Chow Mein/ Mixed fried rice have always been a classic combo back home. The crisp, stir fried noodles team up with this spicy, luscious chicken dish to celebrate a party in the mouth. The combination works perfectly and is a must try. A complete and versatile meal in itself , it can very well be made vegetarian with a little substitution. The best part of this combo is that they both use similar sauces and ingredients and hence make it so easy.

Chili Chicken

A lip smacking Indo-Chinese delicacy in which marinated pieces of chicken in a spicy and tangy batter are fried till golden brown and tossed with garlic, onions and chilies.It works very well when teamed up with fried rice or Chow Mein to form a complete meal by itself.

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

1 1/2 lbs boneless Chicken cut into small pieces

1 Egg

2 T ginger garlic paste

1 T green chili paste

2 T Soy sauce

2 T Vinegar

1 tsp salt

1/3 th C Cornstarch

1/3 th C - All purpose flour
1/4th C - Besan (Optional)

1/4 th tsp Sugar

Oil for frying

For the stir fry:

3-4 onions Chopped

3-4 Chilies cut in slits.

5 -6 cloves of Garlic.

1 T soy sauce

1/2 T vinegar

1/2 T tomato sauce

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients for the marinade.

2. Let it sit for ~ 2-3 hrs in the refrigerator.

Tip: When kept cold, the batter sticks firmly to the chicken and makes a better coating.

3. Fry the chicken pieces till golden brown and keep aside.

4. In a wok, add some oil and garlic. Let it soften.

5. Then add in the chicken pieces, onions and chilies together.

6. Stir for 2-3 minutes on high, add in the sauces and serve hot.

Vegetarian substitute: Substitute the chicken with paneer or firm tofu and proceed as given.

Time saver tips: The chicken can be marinated and kept in the refrigerator. While planning for a party, fry the chicken pieces a day in advance. On the D-day, warm up the pieces in the oven at 300F for 5-10 mins and  proceed with step 5 and 6.

This preparation is sure to wow your guests and the best part is that it can be made way in advance leaving you time to enjoy the party without slogging too hard.An overall fun way to satisfy a hungry crowd in minutes.

Photo credits: All these pictures have been taken by my friend and a talented budding photographer who was kind enough to take these lovely pictures of my dish and share it with me. A huge thanks :)

Have a fun weekend guys!

J

P.S: I am sending this entry to :

 - "Guest Quest" hosted by Amina

 - "Walk through memory lane" by Jayanthi and Gayatri.
 - "Mom's recipe" hosted by Sravs. 
 - "Appetizers" hosted by Sumee.
 - "Kid's Delight: Evening Snacks & Tiffin" hosted by Vardhini and Srivalli.
 - "Warm foods to beat the rain" hosted by The Pumpkin farm and Srivalli.
 - "Desi Vidheshi food fest" hosted by Kalyani

Chinese cuisine with Indian flare -Chilli Garlic Chow Mein

Nothing quite compares to the din and bustle of a busy Indian street. Adding to it are the ever bustling food corners scattered all around the place. I have almost always failed to resist the temptation of giving in to my evil desire of eating some slurpilacious (oh yes…I made that word up!) good food out on the streets! If you ever noticed one of those “Chinese” stalls around, they seem to be so much at ease tossing those noodles high up in the air and catching our attention and the noodles- both with remarkable dexterity. Compounding the desire is the whiff of a complex blend of sauces wafting in through the air, through our nostrils, directly to the tummy. 

Sigh! 

At times I sorely I miss those tastes, smells and of course, the sounds! But to my pleasure I can always look back and say that I have learnt how to make these and can always satisfy my craving –of course sans the sounds and the dexterous tossing of the noodles.

Almost every country has an exclusive version of its neighboring country’s cuisine. Just like the American version of Mexican food and our very popular Indian take on the Chinese cuisine. It’s impressive and almost unavoidable to notice as to how deep the local flavors seep into the “borrowed” cuisine and create a completely new version of the original, giving birth to a winner in its own right – like the “Indo-Chinese” cuisine. 

Out of all the various renditions of the cuisine, Chow Mein stands out in memory because of its frequent demand at our place. Ma has always been a very adventurous cook,so when we kids showed our fondness to this “street’ food..in order to inculcate some good eating habits, she started making it on her own. How, when,why..there’s not much to my memory. This is also special since its one of the first dishes I made completely on my own,while at home. One interesting addition to the noodles at my place were potatoes.  A sacrilege to many but when you are home and you get the comforts of the restaurant at your whim and fancy..there’s not much we were allowed to say. We loved the potato version too even though it makes the noodles stick due to its starchiness. So I have dropped potatoes out of our equation here. This is also a great way to sneak in veggies for kids as well as eggs and chicken. Now I guess that could very well be the real reason why my Ma started making it in the first place.

Chili Garlic Chow Mein

Chow Mein refers to stir-fried noodles with veggies and protein of your choice served with Chinese seasonings with the Indian flare. This dish can be made vegetarian too- by substituting egg noodles with rice noodles  and opting out of the chicken and eggs.Try adding in tofu or even paneer and you have your dose of protein! This makes a perfect combo with Chili chicken or Vegetable Manchurian to enjoy an Indian and Chinese dinner right in the comforts of your own home.

Ingredients:

Serves : 4-5 people

1 packet Chinese egg noodles

1 teaspoon + 1 Tbsp of canola oil

7-8 cloves of garlic

1 medium sized carrot – Julienned

½ Green bell pepper (I use red and yellow for color )

2-3 green chillies 

½  cup Cabbage chopped.

1 Onion chopped.

7-8 Green beans – Cut in strips

½ cup Chicken – Cut in cubes

2 nos. eggs

1 Tbsp Dark Soy sauce.

½ Tbsp White vinegar/Chili vinegar.

1 tsp Green chili sauce.

1 tsp Tomato ketchup.

½ tsp freshly crushed black pepper.

Salt to taste.

Disclaimer: This is in no way an advertisement for this brand. These sauces render the same taste to these noodles like our Indian made ones and hence I use these.

Method:

The noodles:

This is the most important step in a perfect Chow Mein preparation. 

1. Bring about 8 cups of water to boil and boil the noodles till its firm to the bite. Do NOT overcook since it will be stir fried with the veggies too. Drain it in a colander and place it under running cold tap water. Wash it thoroughly. This ensures that the noodles stop cooking any further and excess starch run out.

2. Toss in the noodles with 1 Tbsp of oil to make sure that the noodles do not stick.

3. In the meantime, marinate the chicken pieces with soy sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper and keep it aside for about 10-15 minutes.

Stir fry - The happy amalgamation:

1.  Add 2 Tbsp of oil to the wok and immediately add the chopped garlic. Let the garlic and the oil warm up together. This makes sure that the garlic gets soft and sweet without being burnt.Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes till the garlic turns golden brown.

2. Stir in the marinating chicken at this point and cook at a high flame for about 4 minutes.

3. Then add in the veggies one at a time – starting with the one that takes the most time. Keep stirring the veggies over high flame for about 3-4 minutes. The veggies should still remain crunchy.

4. At this point, toss in the noodles with the veggies. Pour the sauces,salt,pepper and toss well to coat. Keep stirring over high flame. Adjust the sauces as per tastes.

5. Make two thin omelets of the eggs whisked in with salt and pepper. Roll them up and cut in strips. After turning off the stove, add in the egg strips.

Now, this steaming plate of Garlic Chow mein is quite ready to take you to far off lands - beyond memories and happy places.

Happy chowing folks! 

J

P.s : I am submitting this post to -
 -  Sameena for "Evening Snack recipes"
 -  Divya for "What's in your lunch box?"
 -  "Guest Quest" hosted by Amina
 - "Kid's Delight: Evening Snacks & Tiffin" hosted by Vardhini and Srivalli.
 - "Desi Vidheshi food fest" hosted by Kalyani
 - "30 minute meals" hosted by Srivalli
 - "Anniversary Celebrations" by Cook,Click and Devour
- "Kid's Delight event" hosted by Jayanthi and Srivalli.