How to describe Manchurian Sauce?
Sweet.
Spicy.
Flexible; this sauce is as good tossed over breaded cauliflower bites as it is with shrimp or chicken wings – the first time I had it, it was tossed over fried baby corn cobs.
Like I said, this sauce can pretty much do it all, and for not too much effort.
INGREDIENTS
Garlic Ginger Paste:
•1 tbsp minced garlic
•1 tbsp minced ginger
•1/8 tsp turmeric
•1/8 tsp salt
Manchurian Sauce:
•1 tbsp olive oil
•1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
•1-1/2 cup diced sweet onion
•1 can diced green chiles, drained
•4 or 5 scallions, sliced – white and light green parts separated from the darker stalks
•1 tbsp minced ginger
•1 tbsp lower sodium Tamari
•1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
•1/2 cup Indian-Style Sweet & Sour Sauce
•1/2 tsp curry powder
•1/2 tsp sugar
•1/2 tsp black pepper
•1/4 tsp salt
•2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
•Freshly chopped parsley (for garnish)
Grind the garlic and ginger into a paste with a mortar and pestle, then stir in the salt and turmeric and set aside.
Note: I totally cheat making the paste by buying garlic and ginger frozen in one teaspoon/clove measures at Trader Joe’s.
Warm the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, then add ginger garlic paste, diced sweet onion, white and light green pieces of the scallion (save the dark green slices to garnish in the end), and sauté for eight minutes or so, until the onion is tender.
Add the green chiles and fry for another minute before adding the minced ginger, Tamari, vinegar, salt, Sweet and Sour Sauce and the seasonings.
I started with frozen breaded cauliflower bites from Trader Joe’s. Theirs includes Kung Pao sauce packets, but I far prefer Manchurian, so I toss theirs.
Bake or air the cauliflow bites (or shrimp, or chicken, or baby corn cobs) according to instructions on the package (or on line); then toss with the Manchurian Sauce to coat and serve.
We had ours with some wide rice noodles tossed with veggies and a rather nice sauce.
Those details, tomorrow.