Chinese Veg Machurian with Gravy and Chinese Fried Rice

We Indians have been experimenting with the Vegetable Manchurian and the Fried Rice since ages, to get that perfect taste and texture to suit the Indian palette. The inimitable smell of fresh garlic, onions and chillies being sauteed already creates a background for the delectable Manchurian. And of course, the long grained Basmati with a dash of favoured vegetables. Makes for one colorful and dainty main course!

What you will need:

Fried Rice

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1/2 cup french beans- thinly sliced into diagonal pieces
• 1/2 cup carrot cut into thin long strips
• 1 cup chopped spring onion whites
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 chopped spring onion greens
• Salt to taste

Manchurian

For the vegetable balls:

• 3 cups finely chopped cabbage
• 1 1/4  cup  carrot grated
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 2 tablespoon cornflour
• 4 tablespoon all purpose flour (maida)
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 green chilly finely chopped
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper powder
• Oil for frying

For the Sauce :

• 4-5 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped green chillies
• 1/2 cup minced onions
• 1/2 tablespoon spring onions green
• 1+1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Get started –

Firstly wash and soak the rice in water for 10 mins , and set it to cook while you can make the Manchurian. .

To make the vegetable Manchurian balls, mix the cabbage, carrots, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, maida and cornflour, green chillies, garlic and pepper powder. Knead it till it comes together to form a sticky mixture. If you feel it is too dry, add a little water. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then divide it into 15 parts and make balls  rolling them in your hand.

Heat sufficient oil in a wok, and fry the balls till rusty brown. Drain on an absorbent paper.

Caution: I had a little accident while frying the balls. I tried to remove the veg balls on a plate lined with absorbent paper. Don’t know what I was thinking, but the paper caught fire. Luckily my husband was around, and he tossed the plate in the kitchen sink. So Rule no. 1 for frying : Remove the fried objects on a plate and then transfer them on the absorbent paper.

Now for the sauce, heat some oil in a pan (kadhai) and fry the garlic. Add the green chillies, onions, and spring onion greens and stir fry over high flame till the onions are translucent. Oh, I love the aroma of the garlic and onions fried together.

Mix the cornflour in 2 cups of water and add it to the pan along with the soy sauce, and stir till a thick gurgling sauce is ready!

Take it off the flame and just before serving, add the vegetable balls in the sauce and garnish with spring onion greens.

Now for the fried rice :

To keep the grains of the cooked rice separate,  spread it on a wide plate and allow it to cool. Drizzle some salt and soy sauce over the cooked rice.

Heat oil in a pan, and stir fry the vegetables over high flame for about 5-6 minutes, till the vegetables soften. Then gently add the rice to the pan, being careful to not break the rice grains. Add a pinch of MSG (Mono sodium glutamate) for that extra zing to the rice.

Mix well, and cover for 2 minutes, and the colorful mix vegetable fried rice is done!

This entire meal, with the slicing and dicing is done in 1 hour flat!

个饱 , (Chineese for ‘Enjoy your meal’)

R