We love love Indian chinese food. Who doesnt? With its distinct fusion of indian spices & vegetables and chinese ingredients & techniques, indo chinese or desi chinese recipes are flavor bombs. Jump to:What is Manchurian?About Manchurian Noodles RecipeIngredients (Notes & Substitutions)How To Make Manchurian NoodlesVariations & My Tips More Recipes 30 Minute Saucy Manchurian Noodles
What is Manchurian?
Manchurian style dishes are cooked by combining deep fried vegetable balls, chicken, shrimp or paneer etc and a thickish amber colored sauce made using soy sauce, chili sauce, ginger, garlic etc. These dishes use chinese seasoning techniques but taste distinctly indian. The most popular manchurian dishes are gobi manchurian, vegetable (deep fried veggie balls) and chicken manchurian.
Are Manchurian Style Dishes Chinese?
No.The word Manchurian is used for natives of Manchuria region in China but surprisingly enough, indo chinese cuisine has little to do with the traditional Manchu cuisine. There are few theories behind how this cuisine gained popularity in India. Manchurian dishes were invented by a cook of chinese descent in order to create something new using indian and chinese ingredients and he named his new invention as Manchurian. Another theory is that the indo cuisine evolved along the silk route when chinese travelers settled in eastern parts of India.
About Manchurian Noodles Recipe
My husband is the biggest fan of indo chinese food and I make it every other week. I usually serve chicken manchurian with noodles or fried rice. This recipe was born out of no where - basically just to use up leftover manchurian sauce. Next day I boiled some noodles and tossed them with the sauce because why not. Behold, these spicy manchurian noodles turned out heavenly. These are a regular at our home- for weekends or kid lunches.
Why you will love this recipe?
If you love saucy noodles, these are amazing! Its so quick to make - 20 minutes or so. Absolutely delicious and flavorful with spicy, tangy, sweetish sauce. It is veggie loaded. You can use any kind of vegetables you wish. Can be packed in lunches. They taste good at room temperature. Can be turned into a quick dinner. Top with a fried egg!
Ingredients (Notes & Substitutions)
Here are the ingredients for manchurian noodles. Indo Chinese dishes are what they are because of indo chinese condiments. I highly recommend that you pay a visit to indian stores and pick up a a few ingredients.Most of these ingredients have a long refreigerator of shelf life. I love using Ching’s condiments because they give a very authentic taste. Below, I am noting down a few substitutions as well.
Noodles - I like using fresh noodles because I easily get them.They are slightly thin and because of being fresh, they taste quite good. You can buy these easily at stores where they stock the wonton and spring roll papers. You can really use any kind of noodles you like. Egg noodles or Ching’s Hakka Noodles available in indian stores are my favorite. Finely Chopped Vegetables- Ginger, Garlic, Cabbage, Bell Peppers, Onions, Scallions(spring onions), Green Chillies (Or Thai Bird Chillies). You can add carrots or green beans as well. Soy Sauce- A mix of dark soy and all purpose soy sauce. I use both because for balanced smokiness and umami flavors. Maggi Hot & Sweet or Ketchup is fine as well. Ketchup is not spicy, so you might want to bump up the green chilies. Red Chili Sauce- The one from Ching’s is a blend of chili, garlic and other seasonings.You can use Sriracha or Chili Garlic Sauce or similar. Ajinomoto - It is optional but I highly recommend using it. It adds a wonderful umami. Black Pepper - Gives the distinct color and sharpness to Manchurian sauce. Do not skip. Honey or Brown Sugar Vinegar- We like it spicy so I use Ching’s Chili Vinegar. You can use regular or apple cider vinegar as well. Corn Starch (Known as corn flour in India)
How To Make Manchurian Noodles
Boiling The Noodles Start by preparing the noodles. If you are using dry noodles, follow the package instructions. I use fresh noodles and I just soak them in hot water for 5-7 minutes. Preparing The Vegetables While the noodles are boiling, start chopping the vegetables. If you washed the vegetables, make sure they are not super wet. It will take you good 7-8 minutes or so to chop the vegetables but keep everything ready before you set out to stir fry. Measure Sauces, Pepper & Ajinomoto Make The cornstarch slurry by mixing cold water and corn starch. Keep ready. I measure and keep the sauces ready to go in little bowls. You can mix as well if you wish. Stir fry the Noodles Make sure that everything is ready before you start stir frying. Make Manchurian Sauce & Toss Noodles:- Heat up oil on high in a wok and add onion, garlic ginger,chilli, spring onion white parts, cabbage and bell pepper. Saute on high heat for 2 minutes for so till the vegetables look a little soft but not browned.They should retain their crunch and color. Add the soy sauce, hot & sweet sauce, red chili sauce black pepper, salt, honey and ajinomoto. Saute for 30 seconds. Add the corn starch slurry and water. Cook for 2-3 minutes or so till the sauce is thickish. Add the drained noodles and mix. Sprinkle the scallion green parts and serve immediately.
Variations & My Tips
Add protein - Add chicken, shrimp or ground keema(minced meat) to these noodles. Add Diced Vegetables - You can add sliced green beans, broccoli, snap peas, mushrooms or colorful bell peppers to the sauce. Kid friendly - Use Ketchup instead of Maggi Hot & Sweet sauce and skip the green chillies. Make it Vegan friendly by making sure that the sauces you are using are plant based. Prepare Before you start Stir frying - Make sure that all the ingredients are ready to go before you begin stir frying. You dont want to pause and chop vegetables or measure sauces, the vegetables in the sauce will become mushy. If you are like me and sometimes add sauces straight from the bottle, take the sauce bottles from refrigerator or cabinet and keep near the stove. High Heat :- Stir fry on high heat. For authentic smoky flavors, cook everything on high heat. Invest in a Wok (if possible) - I cannot explain how much the taste of indo chinese I make at home has changed for better ever since I started using a wok. The construction of wok(thin walls) helps the noodles and veggies in sauce retain their crispness. Dont add too much corn starch. I have learnt it the hard way.You just need 1 tablespoon else the sauce will taste chalky.
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