About:

In this recipe mushrooms are coated in a batter baked and then sauted in a sweet and tangy sauce. Usually they are deep fried but I opted to bake them. They turned out beautifully with nice crunchy outer crust and soft inside.

I retained this as a dry version as I was serving this as a starter with fried rice. However it can also be made to gravy /semi-gravy version by adding some stock/liquid in the sauce.

This can be served as a starter in 3 course Chinese meal plans.  Main dish – Fried rice  (link) and dessert Beet Muesli cake (link).

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

For Manchurian:

• Button mushrooms-200gms (cleaned and sliced)
• Chopped bell pepper-1
• Spring onion white-1/2cup
• Spring onion greens-1/4cup +garnishing
• Minced ginger-2tsp
• Minced garlic-2tsp
• Ground black pepper-1/2tsp
• Vinegar-1tsp
• Soya sauce-1tsp
• Tomato sauce-2tbsp
• Red/green chilli sauce-1/2tsp
• Salt- to taste
• Corn starch/flour-1tsp (dissolved in 2-3tbsp of water)
• Oil-2tsp

For the batter:

• Corn starch-2-3tbsp
• Rice flour-1tbsp
• Salt-pinch
• Chilli powder-1/2tsp
• Oil-for brushing

Procedure:

For batter:

• Mix all the ingredients mentioned except oil in a bowl and form a batter of thick butter milk consistency by adding water.
• Pre-heat the oven at 200deg, line the baking tray and set aside.
• Rinse, wipe and halve the mushrooms.
• Coat the mushrooms in the batter and arrange them on a lined baking tray (make sure not to overlap) and bake for 18-20minutes. Toss the mushrooms once in the middle while baking.

Meanwhile make the sauce:

• Heat oil in a sauce pan and add spring onions whites, minced ginger-garlic and fry for 2-3minutes/until onions are translucent.
• Now add bell peppers and saute for 2-3minutes /until tender and crunchy.
• Then add soy sauce, tomato sauce, chilli sauce and vinegar mix well.
• Add salt, corn flour mixture and bring the sauce to a quick boil.
• Add baked mushrooms, ground pepper, salt if required, and give a toss until the mushrooms are coated well.
• Once coated and heated through, turn off the flame.
• Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the spring onion greens, give it a quick mix and serve hot.
• Once sauted in sauce it has to be served immediately or it goes soggy.

Note:

Spices and sauce can be altered as per the taste

I am bringing this recipe to Angie’s Fiesta Friday #35