add finely chopped spring onions, grated carrots and grated cabbage.
add maida/all purpose flour and corn flour as well.
add salt to your taste and black pepper powder as well.
mix all together. Use your hands and some moisture will be realased and the mixture will formed like a dough. knead it well.
take a portion of it and prepare medium size balls. keep aside.
heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan.
add a small piece of a ball to the hot oil. if the balls does not stick or settle down at the bottom of the pan, but comes up steadily the oil is ready for frying these veg manchurian balls. if the balls break, then some more binding agent is required. so you can add 2 to 3 teaspoons of some more all purpose flour (maida).
gently place the balls in the hot oil. the oil has to be medium hot. too much heat and the manchurian balls will be browned from top and uncooked from inside.
Fry the balls till crisp and golden.
keep aside.
for the manchurian gravy:
In small bowl, take 1 tablespoon corn flour and 2 tablespoons water. mix very well and keep aside.
heat oil in a pan.
add chopped spring onions, ginger, and minced garlic.
stir fry on medium flame till the onions turn translucent.
now add soy sauce and red chili sauce.
stir and mix very well.
add cornflour mixture and water.
also, add a pinch of sugar and stir the mixture.
continue to stir and mix when the veg manchurian gravy is cooking. simmer till the sauce thickens and you see a glaze in it. there should be no raw taste of the corn flour in the sauce. cooking sauce or gravy takes about 3 to 4 minutes on a medium flame. if the sauce is too thick, then you add some water. if it is too thin, then you can add some corn flour.
you can add black pepper powder as well in the sauce. season with a bit of salt. do keep in mind that the soy sauce, chili sauce already has salt in it. so add less salt and as per your taste preferences.
add the fried veg manchurian balls.
gently stir and coat the veg manchurian balls in the gravy.
garnish with spring onions.
Notes
the best part of any chinese dish is you can change the consistency as per your liking. if you want a thin consistency, add some veg broth or water. if you want a thick consistency, add a few teaspoons of corn flour paste. this dish thickens after it cools down. so when reheating you may have to add some water.
i have not added any msg and ajinomoto to the recipe. if you want a more restaurant style effect, you can do so. but a word of caution. msg or mono sodium glutamate is not good for the health.
remember to fry the veg manchurian balls on medium heat. if they are fried on a high heat, then the outside will get cooked and the inside will be not cooked leaving a doughy taste in the mouth.
if they are fried on a low heat, they will absorb oil and this will make them oily and soggy.
i like the sweet sour taste of indo chinese food and hence i have added sugar to the recipe.