Chicken Manchurian
A home-style recipe for Chicken Manchurian. Serves 4, ready in about 35 minutes, with steps for the usual way and for the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 500 g boneless chicken, in 2–3 cm cubes
- For the coating: 1 egg (optional), 4 tbsp cornflour, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp soy sauce
- Oil, for frying, plus 2 tbsp for the sauce
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 onion, in 3 cm squares
- 1 capsicum (shimla mirch), in 3 cm squares
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp chilli sauce
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- For gravy: 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1 cup water
Missing something?
- No chicken? Use mutton or beef (cook longer), or soya chunks.
- No cornflour? Use rice flour or plain flour (slightly less crisp).
- No onion? Use spring onions, or a little onion powder (less depth).
- No capsicum? Use extra cabbage or onion.
- No soy sauce? Use a little vinegar with pepper and extra salt (taste will differ).
The usual way: fried
- Mix the chicken with the coating ingredients until each piece is covered.
- Heat the oil on medium-high heat and fry the chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes, until crisp and golden. Drain.
- Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a wok on high heat. Add the ginger-garlic paste for 30 seconds, then the onion and capsicum for 2 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce, chilli sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and stir for 1 minute.
- For dry Manchurian, toss in the chicken now and serve. For gravy, pour in the cornflour water and stir until it boils and turns glossy, then add the chicken.
Tip: Add the chicken just before serving, so the coating stays crisp. Serve with egg fried rice or Chinese rice.
In the air fryer (about 35 min)
- Coat chicken pieces in cornflour, salt and pepper, spray with oil and air fry at 200°C for 12 to 14 minutes, shaking halfway, until crisp.
- Stir-fry onion, capsicum and garlic with soy and chilli sauce and toss in the chicken (dry), or add a cornflour-water slurry for gravy.
Air fryer tip: Spray the coated pieces with oil before air frying, or the cornflour stays white and powdery.
Air fryer basics: Heat the air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes first. Don't fill the basket more than halfway. Brush or spray a little oil. Turn or shake halfway. Use paper liners with holes. Air fryers vary, so check a few minutes early the first time.