Homemade Chicken Manchurian: A Restaurant-Quality Dish at Home

• 500 grams of boneless chicken, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (maida)
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons cornflour mixed with 4 tablespoons water
• Spring onions, chopped for garnish

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix the chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons of cornflour, 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour, salt, and black pepper powder. Add the beaten egg to this mixture and mix well.
2. Heat oil in a wok or deep frying pan. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces and fry until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken pieces from the oil and place them on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
3. In the same wok, add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat it. Add chopped ginger, garlic, and green chillies and sauté for a few seconds.
4. Add chopped onions and capsicum and sauté for a minute until they are slightly cooked.
5. Add soy sauce, tomato ketchup, vinegar, and sugar to the wok and mix well.
6. Add the chicken stock to the wok and bring the mixture to a boil.
7. Add the cornflour mixture to the wok and stir well. This will thicken the sauce.
8. Add the fried chicken pieces to the wok and toss well in the sauce.
9. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot with steamed rice or noodles.

Tips:

• You can adjust the spice level of the dish by increasing or decreasing the amount of green chillies and black pepper powder.
• If you prefer a thicker sauce, you can add more cornflour mixed with water to the wok.
• Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the chicken pieces to it. This will ensure that the chicken is crispy and golden brown.
• You can also add some chopped garlic and ginger to the batter before coating the chicken pieces for extra flavour.