Prawn Manchurian

Gobi Manchurian, Vegetable Manchurian are some of the popular Indo Chinese recipes. Indo Chinese food has a quite distinctive taste - spicy, tangy, slightly sweet. If you are looking for a sea food version of Manchurian, this Prawn Manchurian with Spring Onions is perfect.

Ingredients:
Prawns/Shrimps/Jhinge/Sungta - 1 pound
Capsicum/Bell Pepper - about 1 cup
Corn Starch - 1 tbsp
Spring Onions/Green Onions - 6
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
Tomato Ketchup - 1 tbsp
Tomato - 1 medium
Dry Red Chilies - 4
Salt
Oil

How to cook Chinese Prawn Manchurian:

• Clean the prawns by removing the shells and the black vein. Wash the prawns well.
• In a mixing bowl, add ginger garlic paste, vinegar, soy sauce, black pepper powder and little salt. Add salt keeping in mind that some sauces have salt. Mix all the ingredients and add cleaned prawns. Let the prawns marinate for about 2 hours.
• Puree tomato and dry red chilies to a fine paste.  You can use Kashmiri Lal Mirch or Spanish Paprika or Red Chili Powder for a nice red color.  
• Finely chop green onions. Separate the greens and the whites. Dice the capsicum into big cubes. I used half red bell pepper.
• In a small bowl, mix corn starch in about 1/2 cup water. Mix well so that lumps are not formed. You can use corn flour or all purpose flour/maida as well to thicken the gravy.

• Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai/wok. Add diced bell pepper/capsicum and sauté for a minute or so. Save the sautéed bell pepper for later.
• In the same kadhai, add white parts of spring onions.  Saute till onions turn soft. Add the marinated prawns.  Cook it covered till prawns are cooked well. Now add tomato paste, tomato ketchup, sautéed bell pepper and green parts of spring onions. Also, add the corn starch mixed in water. Bring it to a boil and taste for salt. Continue cooking till you get the desired consistency.  
• Tomato ketchup adds a little sweetness, add 1/2 tsp brown sugar for little more sweetness. Garnish with chopped coriander/cilantro leaves and/or spring onions and serve with rice.