Manchurian-Stuffed Dinner Rolls: Finger Food At Its Best

As the weekend rolls in and you get into the mood to pull out your oven mittens and work some magic in your own personal bakery, these savoury dinner rolls are an easy gamble when you don’t want to spend too much time or invest too much effort in making some freshly baked goodness. Baking bread can seem like a herculean task but these yeasty, pillowy-soft dinner rolls change the bread baking game altogether. What’s simplistic about these Manchurian-stuffed rolls is that the filling is hardly any work and can be made beforehand to avoid a chaotic mess in the kitchen. What we identify as Manchurian in India, is mostly shallow-fried chicken tossed with bell peppers and diced onions in a soy-cornstarch slurry that is typically served as an accompaniment with rice. In this case however, the classic chicken Manchurian gets encased in a buttery dough which makes the most delicious rolls for you to pick at, along with a friend or take with you for a potluck to a cocktail party.

Recipe:

Ingredients [For Dinner Roll]

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons dry yeast
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 pinch salt
• Water, as required
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 2 teaspoons chopped parsley

Ingredients [For Filling]

• 200 grams boneless chicken breast, cubed
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 capsicum, diced
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon corn-starch slurry
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• ½ tablespoon chopped ginger
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Salt, to taste

Method

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• To make the filling, heat the oil in a pan and sauté the ginger and garlic until it turns aromatic. Add the diced onions and capsicum and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes on a high flame.
• Add the soy sauce, vinegar, green chillies and spring onions and toss well. Add a tablespoon of water and the corn-starch slurry to thicken the sauce and make it glossy. Remove from heat once ready.
• Meanwhile, coat the chicken in flour and shallow fry it in a separate pan until it turns golden and crispy on all sides. Remove and allow it to sit on an absorbent kitchen towel. Toss the chicken pieces in the waiting sauce and allow it to cool completely.
• For the dinner rolls, mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Warm the milk slightly and add the butter to let it melt. Once done, add the yeast and allow it to bloom in the milk.
• Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and knead into a smooth ball of dough. Divide into equal-sized balls and rest on a greased baking sheet for 30-45 minutes.
• Make an indent in the centre of the risen dough balls and spoon some of the chicken Manchurian mixture. Seal the edges and ensure that no part of the stuffing is visible.
• Arrange the rolls in a greased baking tin and let it rest for another 15 minutes. Add the garlic and parsley to the butter after melting it and brush over the rolls.
• Bake the rolls for 20 minutes in an oven at 190 degrees Celsius. Allow it to rest once out of the oven for 15 minutes, before serving warm.