Chinese Manchurian food has always been a popular dish in Indian-Chinese cooking. However, it must be mentioned that, though the name may indicate otherwise, it is not a traditional Chinese dish at all. According to reports, the recipe for this dish was developed by chef Nelson Wang at the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in 1975.
At that point, Nelson Wang had been working at the CCI and was providing Chinese cuisine. He was once challenged by a customer to make a dish which would not have been listed on the menu. Wang accepted the challenge.
He began with minced garlic, ginger, and green chillies, which are used in many dishes in Indian cuisine. In place of garam masala, he used soy sauce. To this, he added cornstarch and chicken, thus preparing the dish called 'Manchurian.' This name, in turn, can be quite deceptive. 'Manchurian' translates to a person from Manchuria, which is a geographical area in northeast China. Nonetheless, Manchurian chicken has nothing in common with either Manchu or Northeast Chinese cuisines.
Chinese Manchurian used to be made from chicken originally. However, with time, vegetarian forms of this dish gained popularity in India. The most popular one among vegetarians is gobi Manchurian, where chicken is substituted with cauliflower.
Other variants also include mushrooms, baby corn, and vegetable balls as their base. This contributed to the popularity of Chinese Manchurian as a dish on the Indian Chinese menu. The Chinese Manchurian has become an essential component of Indian Chinese cuisine and is widely consumed all over India. The dish can be found under the category of "Chinese" food on restaurant menu cards, although it originated in Mumbai and not in China.
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