About:

In this recipe mushrooms are coated in a batter Cooked/Baked and then sauted in a sweet and tangy sauce. Usually they are deep fried but I opted to Shallow fry/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.

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Cooking time-6-8 minutes (per batch) OR
Baking time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

For Manchurian:

• Button mushrooms-200 gms (Cleaned and Sliced)
• Chopped bell pepper-1
• Spring onion white-1/2 cup
• Spring onion greens-1/4cup +garnishing
• Minced ginger-2 tsp
• Minced garlic-2 tsp
• Slit Green chilli-2
• Ground black pepper-1/2tsp
• Vinegar-1tsp
• Soya sauce-1tsp
• Red/green chilli sauce-1/2tsp
• Salt, ground pepper-to taste
• 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.
• Rinse, tap dry and halve the mushrooms.
• Dip the mushrooms in the batter

To Cook on pan/skillet:

Heat a pan/skillet over medium high heat and brush some oil to the skillet

Gently Place the batter dipped mushrooms on the hot pan and cook until light golden, flip and cook other side and keep tossing inbetween until evenly cooked/golden in colour (mushrooms can be cooked in batches as overcrowding may result in uneven cooking)

To bake:

• Pre-heat the oven at 200deg, line the baking tray and set aside
• Arrange the batter dipped mushrooms on a lined baking tray (make sure not to overlap) and bake for 18-20minutes. Toss the mushrooms once in the middle while baking.

To make the sauce:

• Heat oil in a sauce pan and add spring onions whites, minced ginger-garlic, slit green chillies and fry for 2-3 minutes/until onions are translucent.
• Now add bell peppers and saute for 2-3minutes /until tender and crunchy.
• Then add soy sauce, tomato sauce, and vinegar mix well.

• Add baked /cooked 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.

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

Note:

• Spices and sauce can be altered as per the taste