Ingredients:
For Vegetable Balls:
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage(purple or green)
1/4cup finely chopped green bell pepper(capsicum)
1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions(scallions)
1/2 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper or black pepper powder or white pepper powder
2 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornflour(corn starch)
1/2 teaspoon salt or add as per taste
oil as required,for shallow or deep frying-sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil
For Corn Starch Or Cornflour Paste:
1 tablespoon cornflour(known as corn starch outside india)
2 tablespoons water
For Gravy Or Sauce:
1 to 1.5 tablespoon oil-toasted sesame oil or sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil
4 tablespoons finely chopped onions or chopped spring onion whites(scallion whites)
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 green chillies-finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped capsicum(green bell pepper)-optional
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery(optional)
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
2 to 3 teaspoons red chilli sauce(spicy and not sweet)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar or regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 to 1.25 cups water or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder or freshly crushed black pepper or white pepper powder
salt to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar to taste or white sugar-add as required
1 tablespoon spring onion greens(scallion greens)for garnishing
How To Make Veg Manchurian Gravy:
Making Vegetable Balls:
1.Take the finely chopped or grated veggies in a bowl.you will need 1/2 cup finely chopped red cabbage,1/2 cup grated carrot,1/4 cup finely chopped capsicum(green bell pepper),1/4 cup finely chopped french beans and 1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions.you can also add regular freen cabbage instead of red or purple cabbage.
2.Then add the dry ingredients-2 tablespoons corn starch,2 tablespoons all purpose flour(maida),1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt or add as required.
3.Mix and gather the whole mixture together.then kind of mix and knead so that the veggies leaves the water and you get a dough-like mixture.but do not knead like that a bread or roti dough.gluten strands can form that will give a dense chewy texture in the fried veggie balls.so just mix very well and press so that the veggies release their juices.
4.Then take a small portion of the mixture in your hands.
5.Press and roll it in your palm and make a round veggie ball.
6.Make all veggie balls this way and keep aside.you can spread some oil on your palms while making the vegetable balls.
Frying Vegetable Balls:
7.Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan.add a small piece of a ball to the hot oil.if the balls does not stick or settle down at the bottom of the pan,but comes up steadily the oil is ready for frying these veggie balls.if the balls break,then some more binding agent is required.so you can add 2 to 3 teaspoons of some more all-purpose flour(maida).
8.Gently place the balls in the hot oil.the oil has to be medium hot.too much heat and the manchurian balls will be browned from top and uncooked from inside.less hot oil will make the balls absorb too much oil.
9.When cooked from one side,turn the balls with a slotted spoon.
10.Fry the balls till crisp and golden turning them over a couple of times.remove them with a slotted or perforted spoon and drain as much as oil as possible.
11.Place the fried manchurian balls on kitchen paper towels.for a low-fat version,you can cook the veggie balls in an appe-appam pan or aebleskiver pan.fry the veg balls this way in batches and keep aside.
Making The Sauce:
12.In a small bowl take the following three sauces-1/2 tablespoon soy sauce(or 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce),1 tablespoon tomato ketchup,2 to 3 teaspoon of red chilli sauce.the red chilli sauce is spicy and not sweet.
13.Mix the sauce very well and keep aside.
14.In another small bowl take 1 tablespoon cornflour(corn starch)and 2 tablespoons water.mix very well and keep aside.
15.Heat 1 to 1.5 tablespoons oil in a pan or wok.add 4 tablespoons chopped spring onions(scallions),1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger,1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic,2 green chillies(finely chopped)and 1/4 cup finely chopped capsicum(green bell pepper).
Adding capsicum is optional.you can use toasted sesame oil or sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil.
16.Stir fry on medium flame till the onions turn translucent.
17.Now add the mixed sauces.
18.Stir and mix very well.
19.Add 1 to 1.25 cups water.
20.Let the mixture come to a boil.
21.Mix the corn flour paste again in the bowl(as the corn flour settles at the bottom)and then add in the pan.
22.As soon as you add corn flour paste,mix very well so that there are no lumps.
23.Continue to stir adn mix when the manchurian gravy is cooking.simmer till the manchurian sauce thickens and you see glaze in it.there should be no raw taste of the cornflour in the sauce.
Cooking sauce or gravy takes about 3 to 4 minutes on a medium flame.if the sauce is too thick,then you add some water.if it is too thin,then you can add some cornflour.
24.When the manchurain gravy thickens,add 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder.
25.Season with a bit of salt.do keep in mind that the soy sauce,chilli sauce and tomato ketchup already has salt in it.so add less salt and as per your taste preferences.
26.Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sugar or more if required.mix very well.
27.Then add the fried vegetable balls.also add 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
28.Gently stir and coat the fried vegetable balls in the gravy.
29.Switch off the flame and add chopped spring onion greens.
30.Serve veg machurain gravy hot granished with some spring onion greens(scallion greens).it goes well with veg fried rice or schezwan fried rice or plain steamed rice or noodles and even bread or roti.
