Manchurian was invented in Kolkata, not China, and the version we cook at 699 Wilkins Street stays true to that Hakka lineage. The chicken is minced with spring onion, ginger and garlic, bound lightly, shaped by hand and fried in small batches so the outside stays crisp while the inside stays juicy.
The gravy is where the dish is won. We start it with a mountain of finely chopped garlic and ginger, build it with soy, chilli and a splash of vinegar, then thicken it just enough to coat the back of a spoon. Ask for it dry if you want a starter to share, or in gravy if it is going over rice.
How We Cook Chicken Manchurian
Hand work at the start, high heat at the end — that is the whole recipe.
Hand-rolled, never pre-formed
Every Manchurian ball is minced and rolled in-house on the day, which is why they hold together instead of falling apart in the sauce.
A garlic-forward gravy
Chopped garlic and ginger are bloomed in hot oil before the soy, chilli and vinegar go in, so the sauce tastes aromatic rather than simply salty.
Sauced at the last second
The fried chicken meets the gravy only when your order is called, so it arrives glossy and coated rather than soaked.
What Goes Well With Chicken Manchurian
Manchurian gravy is made for something to soak it up. Our regulars usually add:
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Chilli Chicken – Crispy boneless chicken wok-tossed with onions, peppers and chilli-garlic sauce.
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Hakka Fried Rice – High-heat fried rice with veg, chicken, beef or shrimp and toasted spring onion.
