Chicken Manchurian

Indo-Chinese Fusion foods were a curious item when I was growing up. I wasn't terribly adventurous then, so, I would just order Gobi (Cauliflower) Manchurian at restaurants that served these fusion foods.

Nowadays, I enjoy making Chicken Manchurian as well a Gobi Manchurian as folks at home seem to love it. My recipe is just one possible version of it - as usual, adapted to my tastes.

I look for ways to cut short the cooking process/time and fat without sacrificing the taste. So, rather than deep frying in oil, the chicken in this recipe is shallow-pan-fried in a little bit of canola oil.

The sauce is a made-up one that approximates the taste and can be varied as desired. Either the sauce noted here or the one in my Gobi Manchurian recipe can be used.

Ingredients
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
oil for pan frying
all-purpose flour

marinade: soy sauce, rice wine vinegar

coating: corn starch, salt, pepper or chili powder, turmeric(optional)

sauce:
¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup tomato ketchup
2 Tbsp Tabasco™ sauce (or, any favorite hot sauce)
2 Tbsp plain white distilled vinegar
¼ cup finely minced shallots or red onions
1 Tbsp finely minced garlic
2-3 green chilies finely chopped

garnish: cilantro, finely chopped

Preparation

1. marinate the chicken pieces in the marinade for about 15 minutes
2. combine the coating ingredients and keep handy in a shallow bowl
3. heat about 2-3 Tbsp oil in a shallow pan
4. remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and pat dry; then dredge in all-purpose flour, shake off excess
5. place the chicken pieces now in the coating mixture and toss well to coat all the pieces
6. add the pieces to the hot oil and cook turning sides till chicken is fully cooked on all sides and the inside: pick out the biggest chicken piece on the pan and use an instant read thermometer away from the pan to check its internal temperature; I usually am happy if it registers around 170°F
7. remove the pan-fried chicken pieces with slotted spoon and place in a warm plate or in a warm oven till sauce is done
8. in the same pan, after removing the chicken, spoon out excess oil if more than 1 Tbsp remains after frying and add the shallots and garlic, sauté a bit and then add the rest of the sauce ingredients, stir well, adjust to taste
9. allow the sauce to simmer a bit and thicken; off heat
10. pour a little of the sauce at a time onto the cooked chicken pieces till well-coated but not too soggy - I prefer the sauce to just coat the chicken, and not let the chicken float in a boat of sauce :)
11. garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve warm with jasmine rice