Chicken Manchurian
چکن منچورین
If there's one dish that defines Pakistani-Chinese food, it's chicken Manchurian. Crisp pieces of battered chicken are tossed at the last moment in a thick, glossy red sauce that's tangy, a little sweet and garlicky, with crunchy capsicum and onion. It's on every Chinese menu in the country and on the table at most family dinners out, almost always with a plate of fried rice.
- ⏱ Total: 45 min
- Prep: 25 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Medium
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Mix the chicken with the egg, 4 tablespoons of cornflour, the flour, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, the white pepper and the salt until every piece is evenly coated. Leave for 15 minutes.
Heat the oil in a karahi over medium-high heat. Fry the chicken in batches for 4–5 minutes, until golden and crisp, then drain on a rack. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil.
In the same karahi, stir-fry the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the onion and capsicum and toss on high heat for 1 minute; they should stay crunchy.
Add the ketchup, chili sauce, the remaining soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water. Bring to a boil, then stir in 1 tablespoon of cornflour mixed with 3 tablespoons of water and cook until the sauce turns thick and glossy.
Add the fried chicken and toss for 30 seconds, just until coated. Garnish with spring onions and serve immediately with fried rice.
Serve hot, before the coating softens in the sauce.
Kitchen notes
Add the chicken to the sauce only at the very end. If it sits in the sauce for more than a minute or two, the crisp coating turns soft.
For extra-crisp chicken, fry it twice: once for 3 minutes, rest for 5 minutes, then fry again for 1–2 minutes in hotter oil.
A subcontinental invention
Manchurian has nothing to do with Manchuria. It was created by Chinese cooks working in South Asian restaurants, who adapted their cooking to local tastes for spice, tang and thick sauces. In Pakistan it took on its own character: redder, sweeter and tangier than the versions across the border, and almost always made with chicken.
Crisp chicken, quick sauce
The dish has two parts that come together only at the last moment. The chicken is coated in a light egg and cornflour batter and fried until crisp. The sauce is made separately in the same pan, fast and on high heat, and thickened with cornflour until it coats a spoon. Combine them just before serving and the chicken stays crunchy under its glaze.
Getting the sauce right
Pakistani Manchurian balances ketchup’s sweetness, vinegar’s sharpness, soy’s saltiness and the heat of chili sauce. Taste the sauce before the chicken goes in and adjust: more vinegar if it’s too sweet, a pinch of sugar if it’s too sharp. Add the cornflour slurry a little at a time; you can always thicken it more, but you can’t thin it without diluting the flavour.
What to serve with it
A Pakistani Chinese meal usually pairs Manchurian with chicken fried rice or egg-and-chicken chowmein, and starts with chicken corn soup or hot and sour soup.
Questions people ask
Can I make Manchurian with gravy?
Yes. Double the water and sauces and add an extra teaspoon of cornflour for a saucy version that soaks into rice.
Can I skip deep frying?
You can shallow-fry the coated chicken in a few tablespoons of oil, turning often, or air-fry it at 200°C for 12–14 minutes. It won't be quite as crisp.
Is Manchurian actually from China?
No. It was created by Chinese cooks in the subcontinent for local tastes, and the Pakistani version has its own sweet-tangy style.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 420
- Protein
- 30 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
