← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 500 g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 1 egg white
• 4 tbsp Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 1 tbsp plain flour (maida)
• 2 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp Black pepper, coarsely crushed
• ½ tsp Salt
• oil, for frying
• 2 tbsp oil, for the sauce
• 3 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Celery, finely chopped (optional)
• 4 Green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 Onion, cut into 2 cm squares
• 1 small green pepper, cut into 2 cm squares
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp green chilli sauce
• 2 tsp Ketchup
• 2 tsp White vinegar
• ½ tsp White pepper
• 300 ml chicken stock or water
• 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 4 Spring onion, greens finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped

Method

1. Toss the chicken with the egg white, cornflour, flour, soy sauce, pepper and salt to make a light coating.
2. Heat 3 cm of oil in a wok to about 175°C (350°F) and fry the chicken in batches for 5–6 min, until golden, crisp and cooked through to 75°C (165°F). Drain.
3. Pour off all but 2 tbsp oil. Over high heat, fry the garlic, ginger, celery and green chillies for 1 minute, until the garlic smells toasty but isn’t brown.
4. Add the onion and pepper and stir-fry for 2 min, keeping some crunch.
5. Add the dark soy, chilli sauce, ketchup, vinegar, white pepper and stock. Bring to the boil, stir in the cornflour water and simmer for 1–2 min, until the gravy turns glossy and coats a spoon.
6. Add the chicken, simmer for 1 minute to soak up the sauce, then stir in the spring onion and coriander. Serve hot with fried rice.

Tips

• For a dry Manchurian starter, halve the stock and toss the chicken until the sauce clings.
• Contains egg, soy and wheat.
• Wear gloves or wash your hands well after chopping the chillies, and keep them away from your eyes; use fewer for a milder dish.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

My Food Story Tea for Turmeric Yummy Tummy Aarthi