Schezuan Fingers

Schezuan Fingers Video by Tarla Dalal

1. For the schezuan fingers, take the shredded cabbage in a deep mixing bowl. 
   
2. Add the grated carrot to the bowl.
   
3. Also add chopped French beans to the bowl. The combination of cabbage, carrot and french beans is a classic one and is also used in many other Indo Chinese recipes like Vegetable Fried Rice. The chopped beans should not be too large or else they will not mix with the mixture
   
4. Now add the coriander.
   
5. Add 1 tbsp of schezuan sauce to the vegetables. They beauty of this recipe is that we have used the spicy sauce twice – once in the fingers itself and the second time while stir frying the fingers.
   
6. Now add the flours – corn flour, plain flour and salt. Both these flours added for proper binding and a crispy texture.
   
7. Mix very well with hands. This may take a few minutes. As you have noticed, I did not add any water in this mixture. When you add salt, it releases moisture from the vegetables which allows the mixture to bind without adding any water.
   
8. It should look like this.
   
9. Since the mixture will be a little sticky, grease your hands with a little oil so that the mixture does not stick to your hands.
   
10. Take a small portion of the mixture in one hand and shape it into an oval by rolling it between your palm and fingers. While shaping the fingers, keep greasing your hands with oil as and when required.
    
11. Make a total of 22 schezuan fingers.
    
12. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan and check for the right temperature. 
    
13. Deep-fry a few fingers at a time on a medium flame, till they turn golden brown in colour from all the sides.
    
14. Drain on an absorbent paper and keep aside.
    
15. Take another deep non-stick pan and heat some oil in it.
    
16. Add the spring onion whites and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds. They should not completely wilt and should still have a tiny bite to them.
    
17. Add the remaining schezuan sauce and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds. This will coat the fingers from outside and give them a Chinese flavor.
    
18. Add the deep-fried fingers, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 30 seconds. There is no need to add salt as the fingers and the sauce have salt already.
    
19. Switch off the flame, add the spring onion greens for freshness and toss well.
    
20. Serve immediately as a starter or along with Paneer fried rice and any Chinese gravy.