Chicken Manchurian

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

Chicken Manchurian, a spicy Asian-inspired dish, includes chicken tossed in a garlic-ginger sauce with plenty of heat from serrano chile peppers. Serve over white rice.

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons corn flour
1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 pound chicken, cut into cubes
vegetable oil for frying
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons crushed fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 serrano chile peppers, cut into 1/4-inch pieces, or more to taste
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon monosodium glutamate (such as Ajinomoto®)
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons corn flour

Directions

1 Beat egg in a large bowl. Mix all-purpose flour and 1 1/2 tablespoons corn flour into egg until batter is smooth; season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken into batter, working in batches, until coated; place on a plate in a single layer so the pieces do not touch.
2 Heat a skillet over medium-high heat; add enough vegetable oil to reach about 1/2-inch depth. Fry battered chicken, working in batches, in the hot oil until no longer pink in the center, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer cooked chicken, using a slotted spoon, to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
3 Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in skillet over medium heat; cook and stir ginger and garlic until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cilantro and serrano peppers; reduce heat to medium-low.
4 Mix chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and monosodium glutamate into garlic-ginger mixture; cook and stir until sauce is heated through, about 5 minutes. Add green bell pepper to sauce and cook until slightly tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
5 Whisk water and 2 tablespoons corn flour together in a bowl until smooth; stir into sauce until incorporated. Bring sauce to a boil. Add chicken and stir to coat.