Paneer Manchurian is a popular and tasty Indo Chinese dish of pan fried spicy, sour and sweet cottage cheese cubes. There are two ways to make this recipe:
- Paneer Manchurian Dry (Restaurant Style) – A dry snack version
- Paneer Manchurian Gravy – A gravy saucy version.
You get the best of both these versions in this recipe post and they are easy to prepare. It is up to you to make the dish as a dry snack version or a gravy version for a Chinese main course.
What is Paneer Manchurian
Paneer Manchurian recipe is a snack of fried paneer cubes (firm cottage cheese cubes) tossed in a manchurian sauce.
The manchurian sauce is made with a mix of soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce added to sautéed onions, capsicum (bell pepper), green chillies, ginger and garlic. The chilli sauce can be skipped.
It is the addition of tomato ketchup that makes the manchurian sauce different from the chilli sauce which is made for Chilli Paneer or Chilli Mushroom. Moreover less green chillies are added in Paneer Manchurian recipe than in Chilli Paneer.
Making Paneer Manchurian is easy and just about takes 30 minutes. Since you don’t need to chop many veggies unlike some other Indo Chinese recipes. For a vegan version, this recipe can also be made with tofu instead of paneer.
In this healthy recipe, I have pan fried the paneer cubes, instead of shallow frying or deep frying. For a crispy version, you will need to shallow or deep fry the paneer cubes. However as a healthier option, it is best to pan fry the paneer cubes for making this dish.
Serve it as a starter or an appetizer snack. You don’t need any other dip or accompaniment to go along with this dish.
A Few More Awesome Manchurian Recipes
How to make Dry Paneer Manchurian
Preparation
1. First chop the onions and bell pepper into 1 inch squares. Finely chop the ginger, garlic, green chilies and celery. Keep aside. Skip celery, if you don’t get it. You can also use spring onion/scallions instead of onions. Red or green or yellow bell pepper (capsicum) can be added.
2. Then dice cottage cheese in cubes. Pat dry them with a clean kitchen towel. Then add them to a mixing bowl.
3. Add ½ teaspoon red chili powder or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons corn starch.
4. Gently shake, toss and mix. Everything should be well mixed. You could also mix the corn starch and the spice powders first and then add the paneer cubes to it.
5. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan or kadai or wok.
6. Add the paneer cubes. The oil should be medium hot. If the pan or wok is small, you will have to fry the paneer in batches.
7. Flip and pan fry so that all the sides get cooked evenly. For a crisp version, you will need to shallow fry or deep fry the paneer cubes.
8. Pan fry till the paneer cubes are light golden. Don’t fry for a longer period of time as the paneer cubes might become dense. Use good quality and fresh paneer. Homemade paneer is the best.
9. Drain the pan fried paneer cubes on kitchen paper towel.
Making Paneer Manchurian Dry
10. In the same pan in which the paneer cubes were pan fried, add the chopped onions, bell peppers, ginger, green chilies, garlic and celery.
11. Stir well.
12. While the veggies are getting stir fried, in the same bowl in which the paneer cubes were mixed, there will be leftover corn starch & spice powder mixture.
13. Add ¼ cup water to this leftover corn starch & spice mixture. Make a smooth paste. you will only get the above dry mixture if the paneer cubes were dry. If the paneer cubes are moist, then you will need to make a separate corn starch paste. For this, dissolve 1 tablespoon corn starch with 3 tablespoons water.
14. Meanwhile, on a medium flame stir fry the veggies till the bell peppers are half cooked.
15. Add ½ tablespoon soy sauce (1.5 teaspoons soy sauce).
16. Add 1.5 tablespoons tomato ketchup. About 1.5 tablespoons tomato ketchup is just sweet. For extra sweetness, 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup needs to be added.
17. Stir and mix.
18. Then season with salt as per taste, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (black pepper powder). Add less salt as both soy sauce, tomato ketchup and the above corn starch paste we made, already have salt in them. You can also add about ½ teaspoon of sugar at this step.
19. Add the corn starch paste (corn flour paste).
20. Stir well and allow to simmer on a medium flame till the sauce thickens. About 1 to 2 minutes.
21. Once the sauce has thickened, then add the pan fried paneer cubes.
22. Stir again very well so that the sauce coats the paneer cubes evenly. Then switch off the flame.
23. Lastly add ½ teaspoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or regular white vinegar.
24. Stir. check the taste and add more salt, soy sauce, vinegar or black pepper if required.
25. Serve Restaurant Style Dry Paneer Manchurian hot garnished with celery or some spring onion greens (scallion greens). You can also garnish with chopped coriander leaves or parsley. For more delicious paneer recipes, you can check this collection of 90 Paneer recipes.
This recipe post is from the archives and has been republished and updated on 23 May, 2020.
If you made this recipe, please be sure to rate it in the recipe card below. If you'd like more delicious Indian vegetarian recipes delivered straight to your inbox, Sign Up for my email newsletter. You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest or Twitter for more vegetarian inspiration.
Paneer Manchurian (Restaurant Style Recipe)
By Dassana Amit
Ingredients
for frying paneer
- 250 grams Paneer (cottage cheese) or 8 to 9 ounces paneer
- 2 tablespoon corn starch or corn flour
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder or white pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt or add as required
- 3 tablespoon oil
for manchurian sauce
- 1.5 to 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce or add as required
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder or white pepper
- ½ teaspoon rice vinegar or apple cider or regular vinegar
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup onions or spring onion whites diced into 1 inch squares
- ½ cup capsicum diced into 1 inch squares. any color capsicum - red, green or yellow (bell peppers)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
- 1 to 2 teaspoon finely chopped celery - optional
- salt as required
Instructions
preparation
- First chop the onions and bell pepper into 1 inch squares. Finely chop the ginger, garlic, green chilies and celery. Keep aside.
- Skip celery, if you don't get it. You can also use spring onion/scallions instead of onions. Red or green or yellow bell pepper/capsicum can be added.
- Then dice paneer in cubes. Pat dry them with a clean kitchen towel. Then add them to a mixing bowl.
- Add 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp corn starch.
- Gently shake, toss and mix. Everything should be well mixed. You could also mix the corn starch and the spice powders first and then add the paneer cubes to it.
pan frying paneer
- Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan or kadai or wok.
- Add the paneer cubes. The oil should be medium hot. If the pan or wok is small, you will have to fry the paneer in batches.
- Flip and pan fry so that all the sides get cooked evenly. For a crisp version, you will need to shallow fry or deep fry the paneer cubes.
- Pan fry till the paneer cubes are light golden.
- Don't fry for a longer period of time as the paneer cubes might become dense. Use good quality and fresh paneer. Homemade paneer is the best.
- Drain the pan fried paneer cubes on kitchen paper towel.
making dry paneer manchurian
- In the same pan in which the paneer cubes were pan fried, add the chopped onions, capsicum, ginger, green chilies, garlic and celery. Stir well.
- Whilst the veggies are getting stir fried, in the same bowl in which the paneer cubes were mixed, there will be leftover corn starch & spice powder mixture.
- You will only get this dry mixture if the paneer cubes were dry.
- If the paneer cubes were moist, then you will need to make a separate corn starch paste. Dissolve 1 tbsp corn starch with 3 tbsp water.
- Add 1/4 cup water and make a paste of the remaining corn starch & spice powder mixture.
- Meanwhile, on a medium flame stir fry the veggies till the bell peppers are half cooked.
- Add 1/2 tbsp soy sauce. Add tomato ketchup. About 1.5 tbsp tomato ketchup is just sweet.
- For an extra sweetness, 2 tbsp tomato ketchup needs to be added. Stir. You can also add about ½ tsp of sugar.
- Then season with salt, red chili powder and black pepper.
- Add less salt as both soy sauce, tomato sauce and the corn starch paste we made, already has salt in them.
- Add the corn starch paste. Stir well and allow to simmer on a medium flame till the sauce thickens. About 1 to 2 minutes.
- Once the manchurian sauce has thickened, then add the pan-fried paneer cubes.
- Stir again very well so that the sauce coats the paneer cubes evenly.
- Lastly add rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or regular white vinegar.
- Stir. Check the taste and add more salt, soy sauce, vinegar or black pepper if required.
- Serve dry paneer manchurian snack hot garnished with celery or some spring onion greens. You can also garnish it with chopped coriander leaves or parsley.
Nutrition Info Approximate values
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Recipe 2 – Paneer Manchurian Gravy
This Paneer Manchurian Gravy of crispy paneer cubes in a sour & umami gravy or sauce. You will find this Paneer Manchurian with sauce in many restaurants serving Chinese food.
About this Paneer Manchurian with Gravy
- Without Maida – In the recipe you will also not find the addition of maida or all purpose flour. I have used cornflour.
- Without Deep Fry – I have not deep fried the paneer cubes but shallow fried them. You can even pan fry them or deep fry them as per your preference.
- Without Capsicum – I have also made this gravy without capsicum (bell pepper). However if you want to add capsicum then you can add it.
- Substitute for Paneer – Instead of Paneer, you could also use Tofu for this recipe.
This Paneer Manchurian Gravy is easy to make. I have added celery in the gravy, but you can give it a skip if you don’t have and the recipe will still taste good.
Serve it with steamed rice or noodles. You can even have it with bread or dinner rolls or naan.
How to make Paneer Manchurian Gravy
1: Dice 200 grams paneer (cottage cheese) into cubes or squares. Mix 2 tbsp corn flour, ½ tsp chopped ginger-garlic, black pepper powder (as required) and salt (as required). Mix the whole mixture well.
2: Heat 4 to 5 tablespoons oil in a wok or kadai. Shallow fry the flour-coated paneer cubes till light golden.
3: Drain on kitchen tissues and keep aside. Don’t over fry as the paneer cubes might become dense.
4: If there is extra oil in the wok, then remove it in a bowl. Add spring onions to the oil and stir fry till the onions become translucent. Add 5-6 finely chopped garlic, ½ inch finely chopped ginger, 1 finely chopped green chilli, 1 teaspoon chopped celery and stir fry for some seconds.
5: Now add 2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 or 1.5 tablespoons tomato sauce and 1 to 1.25 cups vegetable stock or water. Cook till the mixture begins to simmer.
6: Add the cornflour paste (2 tablespoons corn flour + 2 to 3 tablespoons water). Stir so that the no lumps are formed.
7: Simmer and keep on stirring till the gravy begins to thicken. Once the desired consistency of thickness is done, add the fried paneer cubes, ¼ or ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon white vinegar and salt as required. If the gravy becomes too thick, then you can add some water before adding the fried paneer cubes.
8: Stir and switch off the flame. Serve Paneer Manchurian Gravy hot garnished with spring onion greens (scallion greens) with some vegetable fried rice or vegetable noodles or steamed rice.
Paneer Manchurian Gravy
By Dassana Amit
Ingredients
main ingredients
- 200 grams cottage cheese (paneer) or tofu
- 1 small capsicum (green bell pepper) - chopped or thinly sliced, optional
- 1 to 1.25 cups water or vegetable stock
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ cup chopped spring onion (scallion whites)
- 1 green chilli - finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger - finely chopped
- 5 to 6 small to medium sized garlic - finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon celery - finely chopped
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 or 1.5 tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider or white vinegar
- salt as required
- 4 to 5 tablespoons oil for frying the paneer
- a few spring onions for garnishing (scallion greens)
for the corn flour paste
- 2 tablespoon corn flour
- 3 to 4 tablespoons water
for paneer marinade
- 2 tablespoons corn flour
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger & garlic
- salt as required
- black pepper as required
Instructions
Frying Paneer
- Mix all the ingredients for the paneer marinade.
- Add paneer to the marinade to the paneer. Toss the mixture well, so that the paneer is well coated with the marinade.
- Shallow or deep fry the paneer cubes in hot oil. Drain on paper napkins and keep aside.
Making Paneer Manchurian gravy
- Remove the extra oil from the wok or kadai. When the oil becomes hot add the onions.
- Stir fry the onions on medium to high heat taking care that they do burn.
- Make the corn flour paste with water.
- Let the onions become translucent. Add the ginger, garlic, green chili and celery. Stir for some seconds or a minute.
- Now add the capsicum if adding them. Stir fry the capsicum also for 2-3 mins.
- Now add all the sauces, veg stock or water. Stir and simmer. Add the corn flour paste and let the sauce thicken.
- Now add the fried paneer cubes, vinegar, pepper and salt. Stir and simmer the gravy for a minute.
- Garnish it with spring onion green and serve paneer manchurian gravy hot with veg fried rice, asian veg rice or veg noodles.
Notes
- Add the cornflour paste slowly and keep on stirring while adding it so that lumps are not formed.
- If you like to have more gravy, you will obviously use more water or stock. So in proportion you will have to increase the cornflour paste.
- The cornflour is added to thicken to the gravy. If the gravy becomes too thick, then you can thin it by adding little water.
- You can even add the paneer pieces directly instead of frying them.
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I think all you’re receipe are marvellous they are so easy to follow and the step-by-step step photos makes it so much more helpful to use so thank you
thanks bharti. happy cooking.
hey…. i m a new entry… i tried ur chilli mushroom n it was amazing… i m a starter in cooking.. n it was my first try…
thank you and nice to know.