Chicken Manchurian

Chicken Manchurian is a popular Indian-Chinese dish that is made with ketchup, soy sauce, chili paste and, traditionally, fried chicken.

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 17 min

Total: 27 min

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the chicken
1 lb boneless and skinless chicken thighs (chicken breasts or a mix are fine as well, cut into 1” pieces)
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 egg white
3 Tbsp corn starch
3 Tbsp cooking oil (Use a neutral oil with high smoke point, like avocado oil)
For the Sauce
1 medium bell pepper (½ cup chopped, any color, chopped into 1“ pieces)
1 small onion (½ cup chopped, chopped into 1” chunks)
1 Tbsp garlic (minced)
1 tsp ginger (minced of grated with a microplane)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp ketchup
½ Tbsp chili paste (like Sambal Olek)
½ Tbsp corn starch
Scallions for garnish
1 cup water

In a medium bowl, combine chicken pieces, black pepper, salt, and soy sauce. Let marinade for 15 minutes.
Then to the same bowl, without removing any of the liquid, add the corn starch and egg white. Using a wooden spoon or stiff spatula, stir well until the mixture develops a velvety texture.
In a small bowl, combine the ½ Tbsp of corn starch with ½ cup of cool water and mix well to form a slurry. Set aside.
In another small bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, and chili paste. Set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or karahi until it shimmers, about 350° F
Transfer the chicken to the hot oil. Stir often until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the wok onto some paper towels and set aside.
In the same wok (there should be plenty of oil remaining), add onions and bell peppers. Give it a good stir and then add the ginger, and garlic. Stir quickly for about 10 seconds to cook the ingredients and prevent burning.
Add the sauce mix, then the slurry. Let cook for about 30 seconds, stir continously.
Add the chicken and ½ cup water or more depending on the amount of gravy you like.
Let cook for 1 minute to allow ingredients to meld.
Garnish with chopped scallions.