Oats Vegetable Manchurian
- 20 min prep
- 45 min
- Pan-fry
- Serves 3
- 260 kcal
- 4.9 g protein
Vegetable manchurian balls bound with oats and pan-cooked in an appe pan, then tossed in a glossy garlic, soy and chilli gravy. No deep-frying.
Ingredients
- For the balls: ½ cup (45 g) quick oats, ground to a coarse powder
- 2 cups (140 g) finely shredded cabbage
- 1 medium carrot (80 g), finely grated
- ½ cup (50 g) finely grated cauliflower
- ½ small capsicum (40 g), finely chopped
- 1 tsp (5 g) grated ginger and 2 cloves garlic (6 g), minced
- 3 tbsp (24 g) cornflour
- ½ tsp crushed black pepper
- Salt, ½ tsp for the balls
- 1½ tbsp (22 ml) oil, for the appe pan
- For the gravy: 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil
- 5 cloves garlic (15 g), finely chopped
- 1 tsp (5 g) finely chopped ginger
- 2 green chillies (10 g), chopped
- 3 spring onions (45 g), whites and greens chopped separately
- 1 tbsp (16 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (17 g) tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vinegar
- 1 tsp red chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp (8 g) cornflour, for the slurry
- 1¼ cups (300 ml) water, whisked with the cornflour above into a slurry
- Salt for the gravy, a pinch
Method
- 1Squeeze the shredded cabbage and grated carrot firmly in your fists to remove excess water. Put them in a bowl with the cauliflower, capsicum, ginger, garlic, ground oats, cornflour, pepper and salt.
- 2Mix with your fingers until it comes together. Rest 5 minutes so the oats absorb the vegetable juices. If it still feels wet, add a spoon of ground oats; if it crumbles, add a teaspoon of water.
- 3Roll into 18 to 20 balls the size of a large marble. Heat an appe (paniyaram) pan on medium, add a few drops of oil to each cavity and place a ball in each.
- 4Cook covered for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn the balls and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, turning until browned on all sides and firm when pressed. Repeat with the rest.
- 5For the gravy, heat the oil in a wok on high. Add the garlic, ginger, green chillies and spring onion whites and stir-fry for 40 seconds until fragrant.
- 6Add the soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar and chilli sauce and let them bubble for a few seconds. Whisk the 1 tbsp cornflour into the 1¼ cups water until smooth, then pour this slurry in, stirring constantly.
- 7Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until the gravy turns glossy and coats a spoon. Add a pinch of salt only if needed.
- 8Slide the balls in just before serving, toss for 1 minute on medium heat and finish with spring onion greens.
Notes from the Department
- Squeezing the vegetables is the step that decides whether the balls hold. Do not skip it.
- For a dry manchurian starter, halve the slurry water and cook until the sauce clings.
- Add the balls to the gravy only at the last minute; left to sit, they soak it up and soften.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 4.9 g
- Carbohydrate
- 34 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 5.4 g
- Sugars
- 5.5 g
Why this works
Classic manchurian balls are bound with maida and cornflour and deep-fried. Ground oats take over most of the binding here. They soak up the moisture from the cabbage and carrot and set firm as they cook, so the balls stay tender inside with a browned crust, using about a tablespoon and a half of oil in an appe pan instead of a kadhai of it.
Oven and air fryer
Brush the balls with oil and air fry at 185°C for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the basket halfway. In an oven, bake on a lined tray at 200°C for 20 to 22 minutes, turning once. Both give a slightly drier crust than the appe pan, which suits a gravy well.
Swaps
Rolled oats work if you grind them a little finer. Rice flour can replace cornflour in the balls. Finely chopped beans or grated paneer go in well. For gluten-free, use tamari and certified gluten-free oats, and check the ketchup and chilli sauce labels. To skip garlic and onion, leave out the garlic and spring onion and use extra ginger with a few celery leaves.
What to serve with it
Oats fried rice, hakka noodles or plain steamed rice. As a starter, make the dry version and serve with toothpicks.
Storage
Keep the cooked balls and the gravy in separate boxes in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat the gravy, adding a splash of water, then warm the balls in it for a minute. Uncooked balls freeze well for a month; cook them from frozen with 2 extra minutes.
Questions people ask
- Why do my oats manchurian balls break?
- The vegetables were too wet. Squeeze the cabbage and carrot hard before mixing and rest the mix 5 minutes. Add a little more ground oats or cornflour if it still feels loose.
- Can I deep-fry oats manchurian?
- Yes. Fry on medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until deep golden. Oats-bound balls brown faster than maida ones, so keep the oil moderate so the inside cooks through.
- How do I make dry oats manchurian?
- Use half the water in the cornflour slurry and cook the sauce until it is thick and glossy, then toss the balls until coated.
Inspired by Archana's Kitchen. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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