Veggie Balls with Manong Sauce

Growing up in the Philippines means being familiar with the wide, colorful variety of street food options we have. Most of them like this recipe I am about to show you come in a round shape, and are deep-fried to perfection. I love the crispy, juicy taste of Veggie Balls with Manong Sauce because the…

Growing up in the Philippines means being familiar with the wide, colorful variety of street food options we have. Most of them like this recipe I am about to show you come in a round shape, and are deep-fried to perfection. I love the crispy, juicy taste of Veggie Balls with Manong Sauce because the latter just brings the right amount of savor, as well as a bit of sweetness to the dish. 

You may already be familiar with the classic fish balls and squid balls. But this recipe in particular fits the Pinoy vegan’s diet perfectly as it makes use of— you guessed it— vegetables to create this salty ball-shaped treat. And because of that, it possesses a unique, tasty flavor that can also feel pretty meaty. Before we start cooking, you may want to look at other Filipino street food to create the perfect merienda feast alongside your veggie balls!

More street food recipes

Kwek-Kwek

Yet another dish that will go perfectly with our Manong Sauce, Kwek-Kwek is a crowd favorite because it truly makes the rich, savory taste of eggs shine. We coat the simple boiled egg with an orange batter that turns irresistibly crunchy once we deep-fry it. Lots of people also like to have this with the exciting sourness of a vinegar dip, but you can also definitely enjoy this as a solo dish.

Carioca

Speaking of ball-shaped merienda treats, are you instead in the mood for something sugary and delicious? Carioca is made with shredded coconuts and sweet rice flour, which is what creates its distinct taste. Because of its popularity, you will easily find Carioca in food establishments in the Philippines. But this also gives you a great taste of home when you’re staying abroad, and are looking to make some homemade Pinoy goodies. 

Sardines Fish Ball With Sweet And Sour Sauce

Should you be more of the adventurous kind of cook, you might appreciate having fish balls but with a bit of a twist. This Sardines Fish Ball With Sweet And Sour Sauce recipe combines the simple goodness of fish balls with the rich, salty taste of sardines in tomato sauce. It also has a beautiful crispiness to it due to our breadcrumbs.

Ready to fry up some Veggie Balls, and put together some tasty Manong Sauce?

How to cook Veggie Balls with Manong Sauce

Making the Manong Sauce

1. Combining ingredients

For the first step, you will need to boil 3 cups of water inside a cooking pot. Put 1 star anise, 8 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 ¼ tablespoons of Knorr Liquid Seasoning, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, 3 Thai chili peppers you’ve chopped, and 1 teaspoon of onion powder inside. 

2. Letting the mixture simmer

Now that all of our components are in the pot, we can just stir everything together until they are well-blended. Then just let this simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Achieving the perfect sauce consistency

Mix 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup of water in a clean container. Once you have finished stirring them together, pour the mixture into your pot. Keep the Manong Sauce cooking, and stir constantly. You will know you are done once it becomes nice and thick. Then just pour the mixture into a sauce bottle of choice, and wait for it to cool.

Cooking the veggie balls

1. Creating the veggie balls

Place 2 cups of all-purpose flour, and 3 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch in a bowl. Mix these up thoroughly. Pour 1 ¼ cups of water inside as you are stirring. Afterwards, incorporate your vegetables. That would be 1 carrot you’ve shredded, 1 bunch of green onions you’ve minced, ¾ cup of shredded kalabasa, and ¾ cup of frozen green peas. Mix these all nicely together.

2. Seasoning the veggie balls

Sprinkle in 2 teaspoons of Knorr Liquid Seasoning for an added savor. This mix your components together until they are well-incorporated. 

3. Frying the veggie balls

Pour 2 cups of cooking oil in a deep cooking pot. Before anything though, we must mold the mixture we made earlier into small balls that would fit perfectly on a stick. Then put each of your raw veggie balls in the pot once the oil is hot. Let each one fry nicely until they float, and the outside part has become golden brown.

4. Setting up the dish

Once you are finished cooking, all that’s left to do is take the veggie balls out of the pot. Arrange these nicely on bamboo sticks. Then serve them with your delicious Manong Sauce for dipping or pouring all over the veggie balls.

Liked creating these Veggie Balls with Manong Sauce? I would love to hear how your own trial with this recipe went! Leave you questions and feedback below so I can respond to them.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!

Veggie Balls with Manong Sauce

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Eggplant balls ingredients:

Manong Sauce ingredients:

Spicy Vinegar Dipping Sauce Ingredients:

Instructions

• Make the manong sauce by boiling water in a cooking pot. Add star anise, brown sugar, Knorr Liquid Seasoning, garlic powder, chili pepper, and onion powder. Stir until well blended. Simmer for 5 minutes.

• Combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup water. Stir and pour into the pot. Continue cooking while constantly stirring the mixture until your desired consistency is achieved. Transfer to a sauce bottle and let it cool down. Set aside.

• Make the spicy vinegar dipping sauce by combining all the ingredients as listed above in a jar or bowl. Mix well. Set aside.

• Make the veggie balls by combining flour and cornstarch in a bowl. Mix well and then gradually add water while mixing.

• Add carrot, green onion, kalabasa, and green peas. Mix well.

• Season with Knorr Liquid Seasoning. Mix until all ingredients are well blended.

• Heat cooking oil in a deep cooking pot. Mold the mixture into balls and then fry in medium heat until it floats, and the exterior part turns golden brown in color.

• Remove from the pot and skewer using bamboo sticks. Dip in manong sauce or spicy vinegar before eating.

• Make the eggplant balls by boiling the peeled eggplant until it gets tender. Cut it into smaller pieces and then mash. Combine with egg, all-purpose flour, onion, garlic, salt, and ground black pepper. Mix well. Form into balls and roll it over the panko breadcrumbs. Deep fry in low to medium heat until the color turns golden brown. Remove from the pot and let it cool down. Dip in manong sauce or spicy vinegar before eating.

• Share and enjoy!

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 1218kcal (61%) Carbohydrates: 73g (24%) Protein: 10g (20%) Fat: 100g (154%) Saturated Fat: 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 28g Monounsaturated Fat: 62g Trans Fat: 0.4g Cholesterol: 20mg (7%) Sodium: 1160mg (48%) Potassium: 657mg (19%) Fiber: 7g (28%) Sugar: 20g (22%) Vitamin A: 1628IU (33%) Vitamin C: 19mg (23%) Calcium: 128mg (13%) Iron: 4mg (22%)

© copyright: Vanjo Merano