Manchurians of any variety always being liked in the family. It’s an Indo-Chinese preparation that can be easily whipped up at home without putting in much effort. Chicken Manchurian is the most loved one in the lot, preferred by people of all age-group, so definitely a crowd-pleaser. The silky, tasty sauce, the chicken balls bursting with all the flavours from the fresh ingredients, do you still prefer outside food over homemade? Try the recipe, and let me know about your experience. 🙂
Role of Ghee in Manchurian balls
I add Ghee when I make the Chicken Manchurian balls mixture. Why? Chicken keema always lacks the fat content, and the fat in keema plays a pivotal role to make the balls softer from inside, no matter what you’re making Manchurian, or Koftas, Meatballs.
Ghee is a healthy ingredient which not only adds fat to it but also lifts up the flavour profile of the Manchurian balls. This also acts as a great binding agent for the keema mixture. So, I’d recommend adding ghee to the Manchurian balls.
Will the addition of Ghee overpower the taste of the Manchurian balls?
And the answer is, no, it will not. Do try to experience how it works. Nobody could be able to guess that the Manchurian balls have ghee in them.
Freezing the Manchurian balls and use them later
You can always freeze the raw Manchurian balls in a ziplock, airtight bag in the freezer, use them within two months. They freeze up well, so you can cook the sauce anytime, fry the balls, and add to prepare a quick lunch/dinner. It comes in handy for the weeknights or when the guests visit.
Serve the fried or air fried Manchurian balls as snacks/appetizer
The Manchurian balls are delicious without the sauce as well. So, you can serve them with some ketchup/dip on the side as a party snack. They pair great with Cocktails and always make some extra, they disappear quickly, more than you can even imagine.
Chicken Manchurian
Chicken Manchurian, way more tastier than you get in the restaurants. Try this easy Indo-Chinese recipe in your kitchen at the soonest to make your family happy.
Ingredients
For the Manchurian balls
- 500g- Chicken keema
- ⅓ cup- Breadcrumb
- 10- Garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1-2- Green chilli (chopped)
- 3- Green onions (chopped), read notes
- 1 tbsp- Ginger (chopped)
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp- Black peppercorns (roughly crushed)
- 2 tbsp- Ghee/Clarified butter (optional but recommended)
- ½ tsp- Garam masala powder
For the Sauce
- 6 tbsp- Tomato puree
- ¼ cup- Tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp- Green chilli sauce
- ½ tsp- Dark Soy sauce
- Salt to taste
- 1- Green onion (chopped, only the green part, for garnishing)
- 2- Green chillies (chopped)
- 2 medium-sized- Onion
- 1 medium-sized- Green Bell pepper/Capsicum
- 1 tbsp- Garlic (chopped)
- 1 tsp- Ginger (chopped)
- 1 tbsp- Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp- Sugar (to balance the flavours)
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
For the Manchurian balls
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Keep the Chicken keema on a strainer for 30 minutes, so the extra water in it gets drained (if any).
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In a bowl, add the keema along with all the other ingredients mentioned For the Manchurian balls. Mix well, and start making lemon-sized balls, keep aside.
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Deep frying method
Heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a deep frying pan/kadai, start frying the balls over medium heat until they turn golden in colour, remove and keep them on a paper towel-lined plate to use later.
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Air fryer method
Brush the bottom of the air fryer basket with oil. Preheat the air fryer to 180 degrees C for 5 minutes.
Arrange the Manchurian balls into the basket, don’t overcrowd the basket, fry them in batches. Air fry for 15 minutes or until golden in colour, stop the air fryer in between to flip the balls gently, this step ensures even frying of the balls from all the sides.
Remove the Manchurian balls from the Air fryer when done, keep aside.
For the Sauce
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Cut onions and capsicum into cubes, keep aside.
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Heat ¼ of oil in a frying pan. Add the cubed onions and capsicum, fry quickly over high heat until the onions become translucent, remove and keep aside.
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Mix cornstarch with ½ cup water (room temperature), keep aside.
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In the remaining oil, add the chopped ginger-garlic and sauté for a few seconds over medium heat. Next to add chillies, tomato puree, dark soya sauce, tomato ketchup, green chilli sauce, and salt, mix well, and cook for a minute.
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Add the cornstarch mixture into this, mix well, and give this a quick boil over high heat.
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Keep stirring, reduce the heat once the sauce boils.
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Now add ¾ cup of warm water to this, and mix well. You can reduce/increase water according to your preference for a thicker or thinner sauce. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, add sugar, mix well.
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Next to add the Manchurian balls, and fried onions, and bell peppers. Mix everything gently, cook for 2 minutes more over low heat.
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Remove from the heat, garnish with some chopped green onion, and transfer to a bowl.
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Serve hot Chicken Manchurian with fried rice, noodles, etc., enjoy!
Recipe Notes
If you don’t have Green onions, you can use ¼ cup of chopped onion for the Manchurian balls.
