Latest news with #ChickenManchurian
News18
05-08-2025
- General
- News18
Chicken Manchurian Isn't Chinese — It's Indian, With A Surprising Cricket Twist
Last Updated: Chicken Manchurian didn't come from China, it was born in a Mumbai cricket club kitchen by an Indian chef. A spicy Indo-Chinese fusion, now loved around the world You might think the dish called Chicken Manchurian came from China, as the name seems obvious. But the truth is far more surprising, and it all begins in India, with a cricket club. Born In Mumbai, Not Manchuria Despite its exotic name, Manchurian didn't originate in China or even in the Manchurian region in Northeast Asia. It was created in 1975 in Mumbai by Nelson Wang, a Chinese-Indian chef born in Kolkata, West Bengal. He had relocated to Mumbai and was working at the Cricket Club of India when a demand for something novel led to its creation. This is where Indo‑Chinese cuisine truly began. The Man Behind The Manchurian Faced with an eager crowd, Nelson Wang combined Indian kitchen staples, garlic, ginger and green chillies, with Chinese sauces like soy sauce and cornflour coating. He deep‑fried small pieces of boneless chicken in this spicy mix, creating an umami-rich dish that paired well with Indian taste preferences. The result? A brand-new fusion dish, Chicken Manchurian, that felt both familiar and exotic. This vibrant Chinese-Indian community ran tanneries, dental clinics, and restaurants, until the 1962 India–China war triggered anti-Chinese sentiment. Many left or were deported, and today only about 4,000 remain, yet the culinary legacy remains vibrant. China Garden And Spread Of Indo-Chinese Cuisine Nelson Wang later founded the iconic China Garden in Mumbai, introducing a new culinary style that mixed Chinese ingredients with Indian cooking techniques. It played a pivotal role in popularising Indo-Chinese dishes like Gobi Manchurian and Paneer Manchurian. His son, Eddie Wang, later expanded the chain to cities including Goa, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, and Kathmandu, spreading this East-meets-West cuisine to a global audience. From Mumbai To The World — But Not China Chicken Manchurian is now a staple in Indian restaurants worldwide, from the UK and Canada to Australia and the Middle East. Yet in China, it remains largely unheard of, its bold, spicy flavours contrasting with the more muted tastes favoured in traditional Chinese cuisine. Still, in the Chinese cities like Shanghai and Beijing, you'll find Manchurian — in Indian restaurants, of course. view comments First Published: August 05, 2025, 13:11 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
New Indian Express
14-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
One nation, one menu
The Board of Secondary Education, Telangana, sets the syllabus. The Illuminati of Hyderabad food sets the menu. The board prescribes one textbook for all schools. The Freemasons wrote one menu for all restaurants. Schools hire teachers to teach from that book. Restaurants hire chefs to cook from that one menu. Some teachers follow the syllabus to the dot. Some go beyond and try harder. Some just read from the guide and go home. Same with chefs — some follow the recipe to the dot, some experiment, and some just reheat leftovers. Schools have different names, fees, and uniforms. Restaurants have different names, prices, and themes. But what they teach and what they cook is exactly the same. Yet every time a new restaurant opens up, my friends lose their minds. Conversations go like this: 'Bro, a new restaurant just opened! Let's try that oldest dish invented in 800 AD at this place that opened in June 2025.' Yes, Bob Dylan, the times they are a-changin' — but they're not changing fast enough. We urgently need to move to Mars. I need AI to cut my nails. I don't want to give OTPs — I should blink twice and a cab should appear. And when will Google Maps show directions to Limbo? And here we are, wasting precious brainpower deciding what to eat and where. So today, I will solve this one useless problem for all you good people trying to build this planet into a better place. The Illuminati is trying to stall your progress by keeping you stuck between Chicken Manchurian and chicken manchiga unda? Basically, everyone wants the best food their money can buy, right? So, we stop working, check reviews, watch three-hour podcasts, ask ChatGPT to deep dive, and then, with half-conviction, pick a place and order. Later we say, 'Today wasn't that good.' Meanwhile, the glacier melted 100 litres, and a self-driving car missed its turn. Instead, try this: Pick any dish — say Chicken Noodles (which, by the way, every restaurant, even a Rajasthani one, will have). Have low expectations. You've got Rs 1,000? Pick any premium place. They all sound exotic, pretending they just returned from Vietnam — but they're as Indian as you are, so how different can it really taste? Just pick any one. You've got Rs 500? Choose any less-fancy street place. They'll serve the same noodles, just in a scratched-up plate, and use brighter food colours and dim lighting so you don't notice the scratches. One gravy is orange. One gravy is green. But once you taste them, it all feels the same. You've got Rs 100? Stop at the place with the worst spelling. This applies to Butter Chicken, Pizza, Mandi, and nowadays even Biryani. So let's save ourselves and the planet from having endless conversations about 'What's your favourite restaurant?' and 'Where should we eat?' We're on the brink of extinction. And food is just basic fuel. Sure, we all love our fuel. But Indian Oil or Bharat Petroleum — how does it even matter? Sandesh @msgfromsandesh (This comedian is here to tell funny stories about Hyderabad) (The writer's views are his own)
