VEGETABLE MANCHURIAN

Vegetable Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese food. It is an exotic dish made of mixed vegetable steamed formed into dumplings deep fried and cooked in a tangy sauce. It uses very simple ingredients, does involve a bit of chopping and preparation but the final dish is well worth the effort! This vegetarian Manchurian is one of the best examples of fusion food. There are two versions of Vegetable Manchurian, wet and dry. Made with generous amount of garlic and ginger, flavored with soy sauce and vinegar, the wet Vegetable Manchurian (with gravy) complements Roti’s and is best when drizzled on a serving of steaming hot rice, fried rice or noodles.

The vegetable Manchurian is a regular weekend treat for most of kids and youngsters too. Usually among many there is a notion that the procedure of making this dish is laborious and time consuming but actually it isn’t that. If planned well, nothing would be time consuming. Preparing the dish at home is healthier, nutritious and worth an effort.

Manchurian is normally eaten as an evening snack, appetizer accompanied with noodles. It is best when served hot. The flavors and ingredients used are exceptional and exotic to taste! Manchurians can be both Veg and Non Veg, some of them are Gobi 65 Cauliflower 65 Restaurant Style Of Cooking, Gobi Munchurian, Idly Manchurian, Crispy Brinjal Manchurian, Bottle Gourd Manchuria, Baby Corn Manchuria, Chicken 65, Chicken Wings Manchurian,  Crab Manchuria, Fish Manchurian, Cashew Chicken Manchurian and Many more…..

Indo Chinese cuisine is the adaptation of Chinese seasoning and cooking techniques as per Indian tastes. This fusion cuisine has said to have developed by a small local Chinese community settled in Kolkata, India over century. The popularity of the cuisine spread widely into major metropolitan cities that include cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai. It has become trendy even in the cities like Goa as there is a large Chinese and Tibetan population. Indo Chinese cuisine is something that everyone adores especially the dishes like the various types of noodles, manchurian or fried rice are always superb and unique.

Cabbage belongs to the brassica family and is a kin to vegetables like cauliflower, brussel sprouts and broccoli. One can choose to cook from a range of variety including the popular savoy, the regular green ones, those with a sensational purple hue, the Chinese bokchoy and wombok, etc. Cabbage is cultivated all-round the year and is easily available. We can make many dishes with cabbage like Cabbage Kofta Curry, Cabbage Foogath, Cabbage Cashew Upma, Channa Cabbage, Cabbage Pakoda, Cabbage And Chickpea Kootu….

Maida is a finely milled refined and bleached wheat flour, closely resembling Cake flour or plain/All-purpose flour from India. A white wheat flour without any bran is called maida in southern India. Its north Indian counterpart is atta, wholewheat flour. Some of the dishes made with Maida are Maida Burfi, Maida Hot Biscuits, Maida Dosai, Maida Halwa, Maida Janthikalu…

Cooking tips:

• The mixed vegetables can be grated to make a more even textured vegetable ball. Instead of using only maida – flour can be replaced with 60 % besan (green gram flour) and the remaining 40 % with maida.

Health Tips:

• Cabbage is an abundant source of Vitamin C and very rich in fiber, the main health benefit of roughage.
• Carrots contain a number of antiseptic and antibacterial abilities that make it ideal for boosting the immune system.
• Cauliflower is high in both fiber and water content, which helps to prevent constipation, maintain a healthy digestive tract and lower the risk of colon cancer.
• Manchurian are made of vegetables which is itself a power pack of nutriets.

Vegetable Manchurian is such a gem. Vegetable balls deep fried and served in gravy accompanied by fried rice or noodles.  Perfect! Enjoy them guilt free – your family and your health will thank you for it. Like I say often enough, vibrant looking dishes not only are pleasing to the eye and palate but also nutrition wise when prepared at home. So, go ahead and use whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Do give it a try and you will find yourself preparing it often for your kids and family.