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The year was 1975, the place was Mumbai, and the person was Nelson Wang—that's what you first need to know about Manchurian, the dish that epitomises Indo-Chinese cooking more than anything else in the world. Wang, born and brought up in Kolkata, is an Indian chef of Chinese descent and credited for innovating the dish called Manchurian—Chicken Manchurian to be precise. While Wang was working at the prestigious Cricket Club of India in Mumbai (then Bombay), when a customer asked him to cook something beyond the regular fare offered on the menu. Wang, based on his culinary expertise and Chinese heritage, cooked up Chicken Manchurian, a dish that is supposedly Chinese but appeals to the Indian palate.
Call it Chindian or Indo-Chinese, Wang’s Manchurian innovation is often seen as the beginning of a fusion cuisine that’s now very popular in India. Manchurian, though named after the region of Manchuria in China, has next to nothing to do with the nation—except maybe the fact that the use of soy sauce and vinegar is very basic to Chinese cuisine. The rest of the additions that make Manchurian the beloved dish it is, have nothing to do with Chinese cuisine. In fact, whether it’s in dry, gravy or semi-dry form, Manchurian is purely an Indian innovation.
But Wang was not the last person to innovate the Manchurian. Indians, decade after decade, have added twists and tweaks to Manchurian. One major reason behind innovative Manchurian dishes is the very same that drives most of our culinary direction—a large part of India’s population is vegetarian, and so, vegetarian Manchurian dishes became a necessity. Today, there’s quite a plethora of Indian Manchurian varieties. Here are some you should know about.
Chicken Manchurian
Any listing of Manchurian types will be incomplete without mentioning the original created by Wang. Chicken Manchurian is basically like a cornstarch-coated chicken fritter or pakoda dipped or stir-fried with veggies, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and garlic. This Manchurian is a classic variety and will never go out of style or demand.
Veg Manchurian
Instead of using chicken, Veg Manchurian is based around a medley of fine-chopped vegetables like cabbage, carrots, chillies, onions, etc. Quite like a vegetable pakoda, the vegetable balls in Veg Manchurian are deep fried and then stir-fried with the soy-vinegar sauce. Veg Manchurian is so easy to make that it is now cooked in almost every vegetarian home in India.
Paneer Manchurian
There are two ways to go about making this popular version of the Manchurian. First, you could dip paneer cubes in a cornstarch mix and deep-fry those to make Paneer Manchurian. Second, you could grate the paneer, add onions, chillies and spices, make paneer balls, deep fry those and then stir-fry in the Manchurian gravy. No matter which version you make, Paneer Manchurian is as delicious as any Manchurian variety.
Gobhi Manchurian
You might be new to seeing whole cauliflower roasts as the centrepieces for feasts, but the people who innovated Gobhi Manchurian clearly thought up cauliflower as a brilliant substitute for chicken. Steamed cauliflowers are dipped in cornstarch, deep-fried and then mixed with the Manchurian sauce to make this version of the Indo-Chinese dish.
Mushroom Manchurian
Mushroom Manchurian is quite a new entry in the Manchurian types list. Since many vegetarians and vegans prefer to eat the protein-packed fungi, mushrooms easily made their transition into the Manchurian format. Like with cauliflowers, Mushroom Manchurian is prepared by dipping halved mushrooms in the cornstarch mix before deep frying.
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Soya Manchurian
Soya Manchurian may be an Indian innovation, but it surely has more Chinese-origin ingredients than other Manchurian varieties. Soya granules and chunks, which are seen as a great protein source and substitute for meat, are fried up with cornstarch and veggies for Soya Manchurian. The dish is definitely considered to be healthier than other Manchurian varieties.
Baby Corn Manchurian
In recent years, baby corn has become a very popular vegetable that is specifically used in Indo-Chinese cooking. So, the addition of baby corn to Manchurian was but natural. Usually, baby corn is used along with capsicum to make the Manchurian more filling, but Baby Corn Manchurian gives the tiny veggies more of a central role.
Lauki Manchurian
Ask any Indian and you’ll know that a cross between Lauki Kofta and Lauki Manchurian was bound to happen one day or the other. Bottle gourd is an extremely versatile ingredient that can and has been adapted into many dishes. Grated bottle gourd koftas made with cornstarch are stir-fried with the Manchurian ingredients to create delicious Lauki Manchurian.
Tofu Manchurian
Quite like Soya Manchurian, Tofu Manchurian too has more Chinese-origin ingredients. Many health-conscious and vegan Indians are now taking to substituting meat with tofu, so naturally, this version of the Manchurian is a likely creation indeed. Firm tofu can be coated with cornstarch and deep-fried before mixing up with other Manchurian ingredients to make Tofu Manchurian.
Idli Manchurian
This one is truly proof of Indian jugaad! What do you do when you have leftover idlis and leftover Manchurian gravy? Obviously, you cut up the idlis, fry them and stir fry them in the Manchurian gravy! Idli Manchurian might be carbohydrate heavy, but it is a very specialised form of Indo-Chinese cuisine since it combines a South Indian staple with an Indo-Chinese concoction.
