Chicken Manchurian

The name ‘Manchurian’ was coined by Norman Wang, a chef who helped popularize Indo Chinese cooking in Bombay in the 1980s. This style of sauce is characterized by lots of garlic, ginger, scallions and dark soy sauce. For this stir fry, I recommend using half a jar if you like a glazed effect, but use the whole jar if you like lots of ‘gravy.’

Serves 4

Ingredients

For velveting the chicken:

1 lb chicken breast, thinly sliced across the grain

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce

For the stir fry:

4 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil, divided

½ red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped

¼ large red onion, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoons oil

1 jar Maya Kaimal Soy Ginger Stir Fry Sauce (depending on how saucy you like it)

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Notes

To keep the chicken tender I added the initial step of “velveting” the chicken, a technique that tenderizes the meat by briefly marinating it in a cornstarch slurry. It’s quick too and I highly recommend it for locking in the moisture.

Preparation

Step 1
Combine the ingredients for velveting the chicken and marinate chicken for 30 minutes. Just before cooking, drain off any excess liquid.

Step 2
When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Spread chicken in a single layer, let sizzle for about a minute. Then turn and allow second side to brown. Stir occasionally until chicken is 80% cooked and some brown bits appear, about another 2 minutes. Remove to a bowl.

Step 3
Wipe the wok clean and add another tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the peppers and onions and stir fry for 1 ½ minutes until they begin to soften. Add back in the chicken and heat thoroughly. Add in ½ jar of Soy Ginger Stir Fry Sauce (1/2 cup) and toss together over high heat for 2 minutes, until hot.

Step 4
Scatter scallions over the top and serve with steamed rice.