Vegetable Manchurian

Say Hakka Chinese and my mouth starts watering, always ready to prepare it for my next meal. It is a cuisine that has remained constant over the years after being tried and tested in East India, by the Chinese race who settled in India. 

Hakka Chinese is fast cooking in a wok, with strong flavors of ginger, garlic, and chilly. Fresh paneer, veggies, and tofu are some of the common ingredients used for delicious vegetarian preparations for all courses. Veg Manchurian is pakodas / balls made of cabbage, carrots and green beans, deep-fried and sauteed in a dark soy sauce gravy. Enjoyed with rice and noodles, this gravy can be enjoyed as a stand-alone appetizertoo. This recipe that I am sharing is a semi gravy version, but you can modify the water content based on your preference.

Ingredients

For the Manchurian Pakodas

• 1 bowl of finely chopped cabbage, french beans, and carrots
• 
  1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp of Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp of Vinegar
• Salt and White Pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tbsp Cornflour
• Oil for Deep Frying (Air Fryer/Baking option is fine too, but taste differs)

For the gravy

• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1 green chilly, split into halves
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp chopped ginger
• 1 green onion, finely chopped (Keep some greens aside for garnish)
• 1 tbsp green chilly sauce
• 1 tsp Ketchup
• 1 tsp Vinegar
• 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Corn Flour paste (Mix it in water and make a slurry)
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Method

• In a mixing bowl, add the ingredients for the pakodas, and make medium-sized balls. I prefer to make them and fry them instantly in hot oil so they don't lose water and shape after.
• For the gravy, heat oil in a wok/saucepan and heat well
• Add the green onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilly and fry well
• Add the sauces, vinegar and mix well
• Add water to have a thick gravy
• Add the cornflour paste as needed for your preferred consistency
• Once the gravy comes to a boil, reduce the flame
• Add the pakodas to the gravy, and let it boil once more, enough for the gravy to coat them well
• Garnish with sesame seeds and spring onion greens and serve with plain rice / fried rice or as is.