Fried soya nuggets are tossed in a sweet, spicy and umami manchurian sauce for a delectable appetizer. It can also be served with fried rice or noodles.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: Indo Chinese

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup soya chunks
  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • ½ to ¾ tsp red chili powder ((less spicy variety))
  • ¼ tsp pepper powder ((optional))
  • 2 tbsp corn flour (or corn starch or just wheat flour)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Oil (for frying)
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp garlic (chopped finely)
  • ½ tbsp ginger (chopped finely)
  • ¼ cup spring onions (or regular onion finely chopped)
  • ¼ cup capsicum (/ bell pepper, fine chopped)
  • 1 tsp soya sauce ((prefer organic or naturally brewed))
  • 1 tbsp chili sauce ((prefer without MSG))
  • ½ to ¾ tbsp tomato sauce ((prefer without MSG))
  • 1 tsp vinegar ((prefer organic vinegar or apple cider vinegar))
  • ½ tsp sugar ((optional, use if your sauce isn’t sweet))
  • ¼ to ½ tsp red chili powder ((optional, for color))
  • ¾ tsp corn flour (or corn starch)
  • ½ cup water
  • Salt (if needed (may not need))
  • ¼ tsp pepper (crushed coarsely)
  • spring onion greens (Few, for garnish)

Method

  1. Bring 3 to 4 cups water to a boil and add soya chunks. Allow to rest for some time until they turn soft.
  2. Squeeze off the excess water (froth) from the chunks. Rinse them well in a pot full of water and repeat squeezing them to remove excess water.
  3. Add them to a mixing bowl along with salt, ginger garlic paste, red chili powder and corn flour. Mix everything well, if needed sprinkle little water for the flour to bind the chunks.
  4. Set these aside for 10 mins, until you prepare the garlic, onions and capsicum for sauce.
  5. Heat oil in a kadai and fry these on a medium heat until golden and crisp. Remove them to a kitchen tissue. Set these aside.

Making soya chunks manchurian sauce

  1. Mix ¾ tsp corn flour in ½ cup water. Make sure it has no lumps. Set aside.
  2. Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic and saute for a min. Add spring onions and saute on a high flame till they smell good, for about a minute. Next add capscium and saute for 2 to 3 mins until the aroma comes out.
  3. Add soya sauce, vinegar, chili sauce & tomato sauce. Stir the corn flour well with water and pour it. Add chili powder if you prefer a deep color.
  4. Lower the heat and stir well. Cook until the sauce thickens. Taste the sauce and check if needed add sugar and salt. Sauce has to be slightly sour, sweet and hot.
  5. When the sauce thickens, add pepper and mix. Allow the sauce to cool down a bit. Add the crisp fried soya chunks and mix well.
  6. Garnish soya chunks manchurian with spring onions.

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.