A perfect accompaniment to Fried Rice and Noodles; Vegetable Manchurian is made by dunking mixed vegetable balls in a garlic-y soy sauce based gravy.
This recipe is non-fried and yet it is easy to make and super addictive!
Indo-Chinese is a rather unique cuisine. It derives it's taste and flavors from Chinese cuisine, is only found in India and popular among Indians across the globe.
What was brought to India by the Chinese immigrants as Indian Chinese cuisine is now a whole new cuisine by itself. There are so many popular recipes in the cuisine. Fried Rice, Schezwan Noodles, Manchurian and Manchow Soup are probably the most common recipes from the cuisine.
These recipes are delicious, savory and made with a blend of sauces and spices. The popular sauces in the cuisine includes soy sauce, vinegar and chili sauce.
We are complete fans of Indo-Chinese food and can never get enough of it. Whether it is making it at home or enjoying it at restaurants; the cuisine appears super often on our dinner menu.
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What is Manchurian
The word Manchurian is related the Munchuria region of China. However, honestly this manchurian recipe has nothing to do with that region. In reality it refers to a dish made using balls of fried vegetables, meat etc. in a soy sauce based gravy.
This recipe is from the Indo-Chinese cuisine and is super addictive. It makes a perfect main course dish to enjoy with rice, noodles, chowmein and so on.
Manchurian is a term we use to describe two easy recipes:
- Dry Manchurian: Balls of mixed vegetables are fried or cooked and then tossed with some spices, aromatics and sauces. This is a delicious appetizer.
- Vegetable Manchurian Gravy: This refers to the same manchurian balls dunked in a soy based sauce with aromatics and spices. This main course recipe is great to pair with rice or noodles.
Moreover, the sauce or gravy that we dunk the balls in is also called Manchurian sauce. A blend of garlic, onions, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar and hot sauce makes an umami savory sauce. We can use this sauce with a variety of add-ins like tofu, paneer or vegetables.
Why this recipe works
- The recipe uses a ton of vegetables.
- We do not need to fry anything in the recipe.
- Most of the elements of the recipe can be prepped ahead of time.
- This is a naturally Vegan recipe.
- It is a delicious Indo-Chinese recipe.
- We can serve this main course dish with rice or noodles.
- It is easy to make these manchurian balls with whatever vegetables we have at hand.
- We can easily control the amount of spice and salt in the recipe.
- The recipe is super delicious and umami.
- The Manchurian balls are easy to bake, air fry or cook in an appe pan.
Ways to avoid frying Manchurian Balls
The traditional recipe of Manchurian includes making the vegetable balls and deep frying till crisp. However, it is possible to make the recipe without frying. To make them, use any of these techniques:
- Cooking in Paniyaram Pan: My favorite way to crisp the manchurian balls and cook the vegetables well is to use an appe pan. We only need a fraction of the oil compared to deep frying and the recipe is easy to make.
- Air Frying: The same manchurian balls are easy to air fry. Simply roll the vegetable balls tight and air fry at 375 F for 10-12 minutes.
- Baking: We can easily bake the manchurian balls before adding to the gravy. Simply bake in a pre heated oven at 375 F for 15-18 minutes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Vegetables: The manchurian balls are great with an array of vegetables. Finely minced cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, green onions and green beans work well together. Add or subtract some based on availability. Either grate or process them to a fine texture.
- Bread Slices: A great element to bing all the vegetables together. Any kind of wheat or white bread works. Both fresh and stale bread works. Honestly, even a dinner roll or other shaped bread works really well.
- Corn Starch: I add corn starch to bind the vegetables in the manchurian balls and to thicken the gravy. Make sure you use corn starch or corn flour and not corn meal. All purpose flour or rice flour is great for binding the balls, but only corn starch is great for the sauce.
- Sauces: A mix of vinegar, soy sauce and chili sauce are great for the recipe. Both in the balls and the gravy, I use all three sauces. However, adjust the chili sauce based on how spicy you like it.
- Seasonings: As we use some sauces, the only seasoning we need is salt and pepper powder. Use some sichuan peppers if you like.
- Aromatics: In the sauce I add some chopped garlic, ginger, green chili, onions and green peppers. These are perfect to bring in some taste, spice and flavor to the recipe.
- Oil: The manchurian balls need some oil to cook. Plus, we need oil to sauté the aromatics. I like to use sesame oil but regular vegetable oil works as well.
- Apart from all these, we use some water in the the recipe. Plus, I like to top everything with some scallions and cilantro. However, these toppings are optional.
See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.
How to make this recipe
1- Prepare all the vegetables. Peel the ones that need to be peeled and mince them all. Place all the vegetables in a large bowl.
2- Add salt, pepper and sauces.
3- Mix everything well.
4- Then soak the bread slices in some water for 5 seconds and remove.
5- Add the crumbled bread and corn starch to the bowl.
6- Bring everything together; add some water if required and make a dough consistency mixture.
7- Then divide the mixture into equal size balls and set aside.
8- Heat a paniyaram stand and add some oil in each of the cavities.
9- Then place a manchurian ball in each cavity.
10- Cook all the balls evenly on all sides till crisp.
11- Remove from the paniyaram stand and keep ready.
12- Add corn starch, salt, pepper, sauces and water to a bowl.
13- Make a smooth slurry and set aside.
14- In a pan heat sesame oil.
15- Once hot add the garlic, ginger and green chili.
16- Sauté till they are cooked. Then add the onions and peppers.
17- Cook till they are soft.
18- Next add the prepared slurry and mix well on low flame.
19- Cook everything till the corn starch starts to thicken and become glossy. Add some more water if required.
20- Once the gravy is bubbly and well cooked, turn down the flame. Then add the manchurian balls.
21- Mix everything lightly. And add scallion greens.
22- Serve with your choice of fried rice, quinoa or noodles.
Expert Tips and Notes
- Mince or grate the vegetables evenly. That way they all blend well together and we get evenly shaped balls.
- Also, the vegetables are easy to change up. Use the ones you have and leave the ones you do not have. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, peppers, onions and beans all work well for the recipe.
- Moreover, the same recipe works for frying as well. Simply make the balls and deep fry them till golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain well. Then add to the gravy.
- It is easy to make the manchurian balls and chop everything for the gravy ahead of time. Simply make the gravy just before serving and enjoy it warm!
- Moreover, the same gravy can be used in so many other recipes. Simply sauté some vegetables and add them for a delicious Indo-Chinese gravy. Also, some soft tofu, fried tofu or sautéed paneer works to add in the same gravy.
- Bread is the key ingredient in the recipe. It works brilliantly to absorb all the moisture from the vegetables and sauces. However, given that the recipe has bread, add the balls to the gravy just before serving. Else they will absorb the moisture from the gravy and start to disintegrate.
- I do not use any MSG (aji no moto) in this Manchurian recipe. Add a pinch if you desire in the gravy. The taste changes slightly but not significantly.
- Given that this is an Indo-Chinese recipe, I like to use all the sauces from Chings Secret and not the traditional Chinese brands for more authentic taste and flavor.
Recipe FAQs
Manchurian is the name for an Indo-Chinese recipe where balls of vegetables or chopped vegetables or meat is dunked in an umami salty, sour and spicy sauce.
Manchurian balls are made with a mix of minced vegetables, sauces and spices along with corn starch and bread slices. Together these make delicious and flavorful balls to dunk in spicy gravy.
Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese recipe. It belongs to a cuisine that is common in India. It has some elements of Chinese food but mostly made with Indian spices and flavors. Ironically, the cuisine and the recipe is only popular in Indian and amongst Indians across the globe.
The ingredients that we need to swap in the recipe to make it gluten-free are: use Tamari in place of Soy sauce, potato or tapioca starch instead of corn starch and gluten-free bread in place of regular bread. Then the recipe is gluten-free.
Yes the recipe by itself is Vegan. We do not add any dairy based ingredients making it perfectly Vegan friendly.
More Indo-Chinese Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below & if you REALLY like it, consider a review in the comments whilst you are there, thanks!
Non-Fried Vegetable Manchurian
Ingredients
For the Vegetable Balls
- 1 medium carrot
- ¼ medium cabbage
- 8-10 green beans
- 3-4 florets cauliflower
- 3-4 stalks scallions
- 3 slices bread
- ¼ cup water
- 1¼ teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper powder
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 3-4 tablespoon oil (to cook)
For the Gravy
- 5-6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 inch ginger (grated)
- 1 green chili (minced)
- ½ medium onion
- ¼ medium green pepper
- 1½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon chili sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper powder
Toppings
- 3-4 stalks scallions
- 3-4 stalks cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare all the vegetables. Peel the ones that need to be peeled and mince them all. Place all the vegetables in a large bowl.1 medium carrot, ¼ medium cabbage, 8-10 green beans, 3-4 florets cauliflower, 3-4 stalks scallions
- Add salt, pepper and sauces.1¼ teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper powder, 1 teaspoon chili sauce
- Mix everything well.
- Then soak the bread slices in some water for 5 seconds and remove.3 slices bread
- Add the crumbled bread and corn starch to the bowl.2 tablespoon corn starch
- Bring everything together; add some water if required and make a dough consistency mixture.
- Then divide the mixture into equal size balls and set aside.
- Heat a paniyaram stand and add some oil in each of the cavities.3-4 tablespoon oil
- Then place a manchurian ball in each cavity.
- Cook all the balls evenly till crisp.
- Then turn them over and crisp on all sides.
- Remove from the paniyaram stand and keep ready.
- Add corn starch, seasonings and sauces with water to a bowl.2 tablespoon corn starch, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, ½ teaspoon vinegar, ¾ teaspoon chili sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper powder, ¼ cup water
- Make a smooth slurry and set aside.
- In a pan heat sesame oil.1½ tablespoon sesame oil
- Once hot add the garlic, ginger and green chili.5-6 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger, 1 green chili
- Sauté till they are cooked. Then add the onions and peppers.½ medium onion, ¼ medium green pepper
- Cook till they are soft.
- Next add the prepared slurry and mix well on low flame.
- Cook everything till the corn starch starts to thicken and become glossy. Add some more water if required.
- Once the gravy is bubbly and well cooked, turn down the flame.
- Then add the manchurian balls and mix gently.
- Serve topped with scallions with your choice of fried rice, quinoa or noodles.3-4 stalks scallions, 3-4 stalks cilantro
Video
Notes
- Mince or grate the vegetables evenly. That way they all blend well together and we get evenly shaped balls.
- Also, the vegetables are easy to change up. Use the ones you have and leave the ones you do not have. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, peppers, onions and beans all work well for the recipe.
- Moreover, the same recipe works for frying as well. Simply make the balls and deep fry them till golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain well. Then add to the gravy.
- It is easy to make the manchurian balls and chop everything for the gravy ahead of time. Simply make the gravy just before serving and enjoy it warm!
- Moreover, the same gravy can be used in so many other recipes. Simply sauté some vegetables and add them for a delicious Indo-Chinese gravy. Also, some soft tofu, fried tofu or sautéed paneer works to add in the same gravy.
- Bread is the key ingredient in the recipe. It works brilliantly to absorb all the moisture from the vegetables and sauces. However, given that the recipe has bread, add the balls to the gravy just before serving. Else they will absorb the moisture from the gravy and start to disintegrate.
- I do not use any MSG (aji no moto) in this Manchurian recipe. Add a pinch if you desire in the gravy. The taste changes slightly but not significantly.
- Given that this is an Indo-Chinese recipe, I like to use all the sauces from Chings Secret and not the traditional Chinese brands for more authentic taste and flavor.
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