A spicy, sweet and sour Baby Corn Manchurian gravy that tastes great with veg fried rice or veg noodles.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indo Chinese

Ingredients

  • 250 grams baby corn
  • 2 tablespoons corn flour ((corn starch))
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • oil (as required for deep frying or shallow frying or pan frying)
  • 2 tablespoons corn flour ((corn starch))
  • 2 tablespoon water
  • 2 tablespoons oil ((toasted sesame oil or sunflower oil))
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies
  • ⅓ cup chopped spring onions ((scallions))
  • ¼ cup finely chopped capsicum ((green bell pepper))
  • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup (or add as required)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or add as required)
  • ½ tablespoon red chili sauce (or sweet red chili sauce or sriracha sauce or add as required)
  • 2 cups water (or add as required)
  • salt (as required)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • ½ teaspoon sugar (- optional)
  • ¼ cup chopped spring onion greens ((scallion greens))
  • ½ teaspoon rice vinegar (or white vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
  • some chopped spring onions ((scallion greens) for garnish)

Method

Frying Baby Corn

  1. Rinse and then chop 250 grams baby corn in 2 to 3 pieces. If they are small in size then no need to chop them.
  2. Take the chopped baby corn in a mixing bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder and ¼ teaspoon salt or add as per taste.
  3. Then add 2 tablespoons corn flour (corn starch). mix very well.
  4. Heat oil as required in a kadai or pan. You can deep fry or shallow fry.
  5. Check the oil temperature by adding one piece of baby corn. It should gradually come on top. Then the oil is ready for frying. If it stays at the bottom the oil is not hot enough, so increase the flame. If it comes up too quickly, the oil has become very hot, so reduce the flame.
  6. Add the baby corn pieces. begin to fry at medium flame.
  7. When one side is crisp and light golden turn over and fry the second side.
  8. Flip a couple of times and fry till the baby corn pieces become golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon.
  9. Place them on kitchen paper towels. Continue to fry this way in batches.

Making Corn Flour Paste

  1. In a small bowl take 2 tablespoons corn flour (corn starch).
  2. Add 2 tablespoon water. Mix very well to form a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Making Baby Corn Manchurian Gravy

  1. In another pan heat 2 tablespoons oil (sesame or peanut or sunflower oil). Then add 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger, 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies.
  2. Saute for one minute on a low flame or till the raw aroma of both ginger and garlic goes away.
  3. Next add ⅓ cup chopped spring onions.
  4. Stir fry on medium to high flame for 1 minute.
  5. Then add ¼ cup finely chopped capsicum (green bell pepper). mix very well.
  6. Stir fry on medium to high flame for 2 minutes.
  7. Reduce the flame and then add 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ tablespoon red chili sauce or sweet red chili sauce or sriracha sauce. Mix very well.
  8. Add 2 cups water. For a thick gravy or sauce you can add less water. Mix well and simmer on a medium to high flame.
  9. Let the water come to a boil.
  10. Reduce the flame. Then add the corn starch paste. Stir the paste and then add. As the corn starch settles down at the bottom of the bowl.
  11. As soon as you add corn starch paste mix very well. In case you see lumps, then using a wired whisk stir and mix. Stirring with wired whisk helps in breaking the lumps.
  12. Simmer on medium to high flame for 3 to 4 minutes. The sauce or gravy will also begin to thicken.
  13. Then add salt as per taste, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder and ½ teaspoon sugar.
  14. Mix very well. Check the taste and add more salt, pepper, sugar or any of the sauces if required.
  15. Add the fried baby corn and mix again.
  16. Switch off the flame and add ¼ cup chopped spring onion greens.
  17. Lastly add ½ teaspoon rice vinegar or white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Mix well.
  18. Garnish the gravy with some chopped spring onions while serving.
  19. Serve with Baby Corn Manchurian with veg fried rice, burnt garlic fried rice, veg noodles or plain steamed rice. You can also serve with chapatis or phulkas.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.