• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Herbivore Cucina

  • Recipe Index
  • Indian
  • Instant Pot
  • Air-Fryer
  • International
  • Cakes & Bakes
  • More..
    • Featured
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Instant Pot
  • Contact
  • Web Stories
  • Get Social

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About Me
    • Recipe Index
    • Instant Pot
    • Contact
    • Web Stories
  • Get Social

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Asian

    Published: Sep 2, 2015 · Modified: Mar 10, 2022 by Smruti · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Tofu Puffs in Manchurian Sauce

    When you move from India to USA you probably learn very soon that paneer is a rare commodity and it is replaced by tofu in almost all cases. From Indian cuisine to Chinese, you will see tofu everywhere. Apart from that, a simple stroll in any Asian Market will make you think of tofu in an absolutely different way. From that one standard packet of tofu that you get in India, you can actually get confused which tofu to buy here. From the extra firm to firm, medium, soft and finally silken. Plus there is bean curd sheets, pods and tofu knots. I sometimes find myself standing in front of the frozen aisle staring at all the tofu packets. This recipe is for a little different type of tofu, the deep fried tofu pods. 

    Tofu puffs (tow-hu tawt in Thai) are deep-fried cubed or triangle-cut pieces of bean curd found in Asian supermarkets in the refrigerated section. Other names include bean kow. Deep-frying makes the tofu very chewy and absorbent, making them a perfect ingredient in stews. Light and spongy with hollow centers tofu puffs are also ideal for stuffing. I first tasted these amazing cubes at a Mongolian Hot Pot place and started buying them very often from the supermarket. 

    The only recipes I have seen from these pods is either in the form of stews and soups or as an appetizer, being stuffed with a variety of things ranging from mushroom to chili garlic sauce to minced vegetables. I had a big bag of tofu pods that were pretty small in size. So instead of stuffing and making an appetizer, I decided to try these pods with an Indo-Chinese sauce, manchurian sauce.

    The combination turned out amazing, the crunchiness of the fried pods, the spice of the thai chilli and the strong garlic flavors. And the best thing about this recipe was that it comes together so quickly. I was in a mood to try non conventional items that day, and so I made a big batch of Mushroom Fried Rice and Chili Paneer Noodles to go with it. For appetizer, I made these totally indulgent Crispy Thread Paneer, logs of paneer wrapped with kataifi and fried to make perfect finger food.

    Ingredients


    Tofu puffs 3 cups

    Garlic 5-6 pods

    Ginger ½ inch grated

    Green Chili 2-3 (adjust quantity to taste)

    Spring Onion white and greens ½ cup

    Cornstarch 3-4 tbsp

    Vinegar ½ tsp

    Soy Sauce 1 tbsp

    Oil 1 tbsp

    Chili Oil ¼ tbsp

    Chinese Salt, Salt, pepper

    Method

    In a pan, add oil and chili oil. The amount of chili oil will depend on how spicy you like the gravy. Add finely diced garlic, grated ginger and some minced green chili. Once the garlic loses its raw flavor, add the spring onion whites and mix well. Let the onions become soft, and then add some chinese salt and pepper. Add all the tofu puffs and ½ cup water. Cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes till the water is absorbed by the tofu puffs. The puffs are such that they will absorb the garlic and chili flavor too, along with the water.  

    In a bowl mix together cornstarch, ½ cup water, soy sauce and vinegar. Make a homogeneous mixture, and pour it on the onions and tofu puffs. Keep stirring so that the corn starch does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Also ensure the flame is medium to medium low. Keep stirring the gravy till it becomes glossy and deepens in color. Check the salt and spice. Adjust the salt, pepper and vinegar.

    For serving, garnish with the spring onion greens. Enjoy with Vegetable Fried Rice or Chili garlic Noodles. If you want to break away from the regular rice recipes, try this Mushroom Fried Rice. It is absolutely yummy!! And this Paneer Chili Noodles are equally great! 

    For many other Indo-Chinese recipes, click here.


    More Asian

    • A black tray filled with cream cheese wontons with scallions and sauce on the side.
      Cream Cheese Wontons
    • Stir fried tofu topped with scallions served with steamed broccoli and slaw in a plate.
      Easy Stir Fry Tofu
    • Chinese Seaweed Salad in a white plate with chopsticks, and sauces and sesame seed on the side.
      Chinese Seaweed Salad
    • A gray bowl filled with Kimchi quinoa fried rice topped with scallions and served with some kimchi, sesame seeds and tofu curry on the side.
      Kimchi Fried Quinoa

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    About Me

    Smruti headshot

    This blog is dedicated to one of my greatest passions, Cooking. I have always loved to cook, especially trying out some unconventional recipes.

    Learn more about me →

    Delicious sweets to enjoy!

    • Strawberry cheesecake ice cream in a green bowl topped with mint, strawberries and graham crackers.
      No-Churn Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
    • A brown plate with sooji halwa served topped with rose petals on top; with diyas on the background.
      Rava Sheera | Sooji Halwa
    • An oval bowl with carrot kheer; topped with nuts, rose petals and saffron with a spoon on the side and nuts in small bowls.
      Carrot Kheer ( Gajar Halwa Kheer)
    • Gulab Jamun cheesecake mix in phyllo cups topped with saffron and nuts.
      Gulab Jamun Cheesecake Bites
    • Ice Halva sheets placed on top of one another with diya and pistachios in the background.
      Bombay Ice Halva
    • Rava Ladoo in a plate topped with dried rose petals and silver foil with diyas in the background.
      Rava Ladoo

    Popular Recipes

    • Air Fryer noodles in a tray with vegetables
      Air Fryer Noodles
    • Rose Peda in plate
      Instant Rose Peda
    • Instant Pot Pickled Jalapeños
    • Front view of Papdi Chaat Dip
      Papdi Chaat Dip
    • Top view of chaat
      Khasta Kachori Chaat
    • glass with rose boba tea
      Rose Boba (Bubble) Tea

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About Me
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Herbivorecucina.com