I know, I am posting back-to-back Indo-Chinese recipes. First Fried rice, then Veg Hakka Noodles and now Idli Manchurian. As I had to play with the alphabet, I had to pick this way. But in reality, I usually don’t pack Indo-Chinese often. It is once in a while indulgence for us. But hey don’t we all love fusion food?
Family Friend’s Recipes
One of our family friends is a restaurateur and a chef, and I learned quite a few recipes from him. I have posted them on the blog as well. Thalluvandi Style Salna, Dum Biryani to name a few. I got the recipe for both Gobi Manchurian and Gobi 65, and I make it for parties and potlucks. But I never got a chance to post them on the blog. Hopefully, I can post, after this marathon. I followed his recipe for the Manchurian sauce. But I did not use any batter coating as we do for cauliflower. I directly fried the idli pieces. Honestly, that turns out crispy and yummy as well. Also, it saves a lot of time, especially in the mornings. (I can hear you asking, how come it is Manchurian then? Call it chili idli or idli Manchurian, this is one addictive dish for sure.) Fried idli and idli Manchurian is vaandu’s favorite. For fried idli, I usually prefer shallow frying, and it is a super simple recipe with a hint of fennel seeds and ketchup.
Guess what, this is a great starter recipe too and a perfect crowd-pleaser. For making this Manchurian, I opt shallow frying or deep frying depending on the time and the day. If I had fried some papad or made poori the previous day, I keep that oil and plan the lunch box accordingly. I make recipes like idli Manchurian, veggie cheese balls, the next day. I do reuse the oil used for frying but not more than twice. After two usages, I store them separately and drop them off at the residential cooking oil recycling center. I think I wrote enough. Now let’s see how to make this addictive idli Manchurian,
How to make idli Manchurian –
Prep – Work:
Chop all the veggies and slit the green chilies into two and set aside. Cut the idlis into small pieces like below. You can also use mini idlis.
Method:
Heat the oil for frying. When the oil is hot, carefully drop the idli pieces and fry until golden brown.
Keep them in a tissue paper to remove the excess oil.
Now, heat a pan or kadai and add the peanut oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic and slit green chilies.
Let it brown and then add the green onions and the regular onion.
Cook until they turn translucent. Then add the bell peppers and cook for a couple of minutes.
Next, add the sriracha, ketchup, vinegar and soy sauce.
Mix them and then add sugar and salt.
Now add the fried idli pieces and combine them all. Ensure all the idli pieces are coated well with the sauce.
Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes and turn off the heat.
Yummy idli Manchurian is ready. I let it cool and pack this as is. This obviously doesn’t need any side dishes.
Notes:
Instead of deep-frying, you can shallow fry the idli pieces. I added both sriracha and green chili. Instead, you can increase the amount of sriracha or add a mix of sriracha and green chili sauce. Sugar adds a delicate balance, hence I would recommend adding it. Adjust the salt and spices as per your preference. You can replace idli with paneer too.
📖 Recipe
If you liked this recipe, you will love these, too:
Instant Pot Tomato Pappu | Tomato Dal Kashmiri Peas Pulav | Instant Pot Pulav Vegetarian Ceviche Salad | Ceviche Salad with Beans Wadi Ki Biryani | Instant Pot Punjabi Wadi Biryani
