Soybean Manchurian
Manchurian although literally explained would relate to something of Manchuria. However, from the context of cookery, Manchurian has nothing to do with the Asian demographic of Manchuria. In fact, it has very little (read nearly no) connection with even with the cooking style of Manchuria region. In fact, the brownish sauce that we associate with the Manchurian recipe is believed to be of Indian origin; a gift of Indianised Chinese cooking to suit the palate of our countrymen (and women). A vegetarian mom ensures that I look beyond chicken or prawn Manchurian — soybean with its versatility adapts to this gravy amazingly well. And interestingly, soybean is believed to have been used even in ancient cuisine of the Manchurian people.
Ingredients:
- Soybean chunks
- Green Capsicum – cut into long medium pieces
- Red Bell Pepper – cut into long medium pieces
- Yellow Bell Pepper – cut into long medium pieces
- Onion
- Garlic
- Vinegar
- Tomato Sauce
- Chilli Sauce
- Soya Sauce
- Slit green chillies
- Salt
- Sugar
- White Oil
Marination Masala
- Maida/ Flour
- Cornflour
- Besan/ Gram flour
- Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- Pepper Powder
- Salt
- White Oil
Preparation:
- Soak soybean chunks in warm water for some time and then boil 5 minutes with little salt. Squeeze out the water once cooked.
- Take Maida, cornflour and besan in 1:1:1 quantity. To that add salt, Kashmiri chilli powder, pepper powder and little white oil. Marinate the soy chunks in this masala for some time.
- Deep fry soybean chunks without marination masala and keep aside.
- Remove extra oil from the pan and add green capsicum, red and yellow bell pepper. You can add onion and garlic as well.
- Fry for 2 to 3 minutes and add extra marination masala (you could mix it with a bit of water), little vinegar, tomato sauce, chilli sauce, soya sauce, salt, little sugar and slit green Then cook for some time
- Toss it and if necessary add little cornflour with water.
- Cook it until dry and serve hot.