Manchurian Recipe | Veg Manchurian Gravy

ByDassana Amit Updated on
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A Manchurian is one of the most popular Indo-Chinese dishes in India. Manchurian Gravy pairs equally good with a simple noodle dish or even a flavorful fried rice. This post has the Veg Manchurian recipe, which is simply crispy fried mixed vegetable balls in a sweet, spicy, tangy, umami manchurian gravy or sauce. Try it, as I’m sure once you make it at home, you’ll forget the ones served at restaurants.

About Manchurian Recipe

This Manchurian recipe is the gravy variation and is the most preferred choice of dish, when you want to have something saucy, sweet, spicy and tangy with a basic Veg Fried Rice, Schezwan Fried Rice or even just the good ol’ steamed rice.

So, this Veg Manchurian Gravy basically has a spicy and sweet umami sauce, in which fried mixed vegetable balls are dunked.

manchurian gravy garnished with chopped spring onion greens and served in a black rimmed bowl with chopsticks kept on the left side.

The sauce has a mix of eclectic flavors like sweet, savory, spicy and sour. This particular recipe is also vegan.

I love Indo-Chinese food, and so does everyone in my family too. Such has been my love for this fusion cuisine, that in my teens I would make 3 of my favorite Indo-Chinese recipes often at home.

This Veg Manchurian, Chilli Paneer and Sweet Corn Soup. This list is actually quite long now!

The best part of most Indian-Chinese recipes is that, you can change the consistency as per your liking. If you want a thin consistency, add some veg broth/stock or water.

If you want a thick consistency, add a few teaspoons of cornstarch (cornflour) paste. This Manchurian Gravy thickens, after it cools down. So, when reheating, you may have to add some water.

Like all my other recipes here, this Veg Manchurian Gravy too is a tried and tested recipe. It results in a sumptuous dish that pairs just as excellently with plain steamed rice as with any other Indo-Chinese fried rice dishes.   

How to make Manchurian Gravy

Make Vegetable Balls

1. Take the finely chopped or grated veggies in a bowl. You will need the below listed vegetables:

  • ½ cup finely chopped red cabbage
  • ½ cup grated carrot
  • ¼ cup finely chopped capsicum (green bell pepper)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped French beans
  • ¼ cup finely chopped spring onions

You can also add regular green cabbage, instead of red or purple cabbage.

finely chopped or grated vegetables added in a bowl for making veg manchurian gravy.

2. Next, add the the following dry ingredients to the mixed vegetables

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch (called cornflour in India and UK)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt or as required
cornstarch, all purpose flour, black pepper powder and salt added to vegetables for making veg manchurian gravy.

3. Mix to bring the whole mixture together. Then, kind of mix and knead so that the veggies leave moisture and you get a dough-like mixture.

But do not knead like that a bread or roti dough. Gluten strands can form that will result in a dense, chewy texture in the fried Manchurian balls.

Thus, only mix very well and press so that the veggies release their juices.

vegetables mixed with ingredients for making veg manchurian gravy.

4. Then, take a small portion of the mixture in your hands.

small portion of vegetable mixture taken in hand for making veg manchurian gravy.

5. Press and roll it in your palm and make a round ball.

round ball formed of the vegetable mixture.

6. Make all vegetable balls this way and keep aside. You can spread some oil on your palms while making the vegetable balls.

prepared vegetable balls placed on a plate.

Fry Vegetable Balls

7. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Add a small piece of veggie ball in the hot oil.

If the ball does not stick or settle down at the bottom of the pan, but comes up steadily, the oil is ready for frying the balls.

In case the balls break, then some more binding agent is required. So, you can add 2 to 3 teaspoons more of all-purpose flour (maida).

checking temperature of hot oil for frying vegetable balls.

8. Gently place the balls in the hot oil. The oil has to be medium hot.

Too much heat and the Manchurian balls will be browned from the top and uncooked from the inside. Less hot oil will make the balls absorb too much oil.

veggie balls added to hot oil.

9. When cooked from one side and light golden or golden, turn the balls with a slotted spoon.

frying veg balls in hot oil.

10. Fry the balls till crisp and golden, turning them over a couple of times. Remove them with a slotted or perforated spoon and drain as much oil as possible.

removing fried veggie balls from hot oil using a perforated spoon.

11. Place the fried vegetable balls on a kitchen paper towel.

For a low-fat version, you can cook the veggie balls in an appe or appam pan or Æbleskiver pan. Fry the veg balls this way in batches and set aside.

fried veg balls placed on kitchen paper towel.

More Prep

12. In a small bowl, take the following sauces:

  • ½ tablespoon soy sauce (or 1.5 teaspoons soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons of red chili sauce (note that the red chilli sauce is spicy and not sweet)
soy sauce, tomato ketchup and red chili sauce added in a small bowl.

13. Mix the sauces thoroughly to an even mixture and set aside.

sauces mixed well.

14. In another small bowl, take 1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour) and 2 tablespoons water. Mix very well and keep aside.

cornstarch mixed in water in another small bowl for making veg manchurian gravy.

Sauté

15. Heat 1 to 1½ tablespoons oil in a pan or wok. Add the below ingredients one by one:

  • 4 tablespoons chopped spring onions (scallions)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • 2 finely chopped green chilies
  • ¼ cup finely chopped capsicum (green bell pepper)

Adding capsicum is optional. You can use toasted sesame oil, sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil.

chopped spring onions, finely chopped ginger, finely chopped garlic, finely chopped green chilies and finely chopped capsicum added to hot sesame oil in a wok for making veg manchurian gravy.

16. Stir fry on medium heat until the onions turn translucent and are softened.

stir frying ingredients in hot oil for making manchurian gravy.

17. Now, add the prepared sauce mixture.

sauce mixture added to wok for making manchurian gravy.

18. Stir and mix very well.

sauce mixture mixed well with other ingredients for making manchurian gravy.

19. Add 1 to 1¼ cups water.

water added to wok for making manchurian gravy.

20. Let the mixture come to a boil.

sauce simmering for making manchurian gravy.

21. Mix the cornstarch paste again in the bowl (as it settles at the bottom) and then add in the pan.

adding cornstarch paste in the wok for making manchurian gravy.

22. As soon as you add the cornstarch paste, mix very well so that there are no lumps.

cornstarch paste mixed well in the sauce for making manchurian gravy.

23. Continue to stir and mix while the gravy is cooking. Simmer till the gravy thickens and you see a glaze in it. There should be no raw taste of the cornstarch in the sauce.

Cooking sauce or gravy takes about 3 to 4 minutes on medium heat. If the sauce is too thick, then add some water. If it is too thin, then add some cornstarch paste.

cooking manchurian gravy.

24. When the gravy thickens, add ½ teaspoon black pepper powder.

adding black pepper powder to thickened manchurian gravy.

25. Season with a bit of salt. Keep in mind that the soy sauce, chili sauce and tomato ketchup already has salt in it. So, add less salt or as per your taste preferences.

adding salt to manchurian gravy.

26. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar or more, if required. Mix very well.

adding sugar to manchurian gravy.

Make Gravy Manchurian Recipe

27. Then, add the fried vegetable balls and 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar.

fried veg balls and vinegar added to manchurian gravy.

28. Gently stir and coat the fried vegetable balls with the gravy.

fried vegetable balls coated with manchurian gravy.

29. Turn off the heat and add chopped spring onion greens.

chopped spring onion greens added to manchurian gravy.

30. Serve Veg Manchurian Gravy hot garnished with some spring onion greens (scallion greens).

It goes well with veg fried rice or Schezwan fried rice or plain steamed rice or noodles and even bread or roti.

veg manchurian gravy garnished with chopped spring onion greens and served in a black rimmed bowl with chopsticks kept on the left side.

Expert Tips

  1. Vegetables: Make this manchurian with the vegetables you like. But remember that they have to be grated or finely chopped. Chopping the vegetables takes time, so use a food processor to make your work easy.
  2. Sauces: I have used a spicy red chilli sauce in the recipe that adds some heat and pungency. But you could even use sriracha sauce, instead of red chilli sauce.
  3. Flavor Adjustments: Feel free to adjust the seasonings, spices and sauces according to your taste preferences.
  4. Frying Vegetable Balls: Ensure to fry the vegetable balls on medium heat. If they are fried on high heat, then the outside will get cooked and the inside will be uncooked, leaving a doughy taste in the mouth. If they are fried on low heat, they will absorb oil and this will make them oily and soggy.
  5. Consistency of the gravy or sauce: Adjust the consistency of the sauce by adding less or more water. For a thicker sauce, you can add less water and vice versa. If the sauce looks thin, add a bit of cornstarch paste and continue to simmer, until the desired consistency is achieved.

FAQs

What ingredients are typically used in Manchurian Gravy?

The main ingredients for Veg Manchurian Gravy include mixed vegetables (such as cabbage, carrots, bell peppers), all-purpose flour, cornstarch, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, green chilies, tomato ketchup, chili sauce, vinegar, and spring onions.

Spices and seasonings like salt, pepper, and optionally, MSG (monosodium glutamate) are also used to enhance the flavors.

Can Veg Manchurian Gravy be made healthier?

Yes, Manchurian Gravy can be made healthier by baking or air-frying the vegetable balls instead of deep-frying.

Additionally, you can use whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour, and reduce the quantity of oil used in the gravy. Incorporating more vegetables and using low-sodium soy sauce can also make it more nutritious.

Is Manchurian Sauce or Gravy vegan?

Veg Manchurian Sauce can be made vegan by ensuring all the ingredients used are plant-based.

Check the labels of sauces and other packaged ingredients to make sure they do not contain animal-derived products. Most traditional ingredients are naturally vegan, but it’s always good to verify.

What are some variations of Veg Manchurian Gravy?

There are several variations of Manchurian Gravy. Some popular ones include using different vegetables like mushrooms, adding tofu for extra protein or paneer, or incorporating different types of sauces like Schezwan sauce for a spicier kick.

You can also experiment with different seasonings and herbs to create unique flavor profiles.

Step by Step Photo Guide Above

manchurian gravy garnished with chopped spring onion greens and served in a black rimmed bowl.

Manchurian Recipe | Veg Manchurian Gravy

Author: Dassana Amit
4.92 from 113 votes
Manchurian Recipe is a tasty Indo Chinese preparation of crispy, fried mixed vegetable balls dunked in a spicy, sweet, umami and tangy sauce or gravy. This Veg Manchurian Gravy pairs equally good with a simple noodle dish or even a flavorful fried rice or just a plain simple steamed rice.
Print Rate
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings3
CourseMain Course
DietVegan
CuisineIndo Chinese

Ingredients

For vegetable balls

  • ½ cup carrot – grated
  • ½ cup cabbage – finely chopped (red or green)
  • ¼ cup green bell pepper – finely chopped (capsicum)
  • ¼ cup spring onions – finely chopped (scallions)
  • ½ teaspoon black peppercorns – freshly crushed or black pepper powder or white pepper powder
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch (cornflour)
  • ½ teaspoon salt or add as per taste
  • oil – as required, for shallow or deep frying – sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil

For corn starch or cornflour paste

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (known as cornflour outside india)
  • 2 tablespoons water

For gravy or sauce

  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoons oil – toasted sesame oil or sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil
  • ¼ cup spring onion whites – chopped (scallion whites) or ¼ cup finely chopped onions
  • 1 tablespoon ginger – finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic – finely chopped
  • 2 green chillies – finely chopped
  • ¼ cup capsicum – finely chopped (green bell pepper), optional
  • 1 tablespoon celery – finely chopped, optional
  • ½ tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons red chilli sauce (spicy and not sweet)
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 to 1.25 cups water or vegetable stock
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper powder or freshly crushed black pepper or ground white pepper powder
  • salt to taste
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon raw sugar or white sugar, add as required
  • 1 tablespoon spring onion greens (scallion greens), for garnishing

Instructions

Making vegetable balls

  • Take the finely chopped or grated veggies in a bowl. 
  • Next add the dry ingredients – cornstarch, all-purpose flour, black pepper and salt.
  • Mix and gather the whole mixture together. Then kind of mix and knead so that the veggies leave water and you get a dough-like mixture.
    But do not knead like that a bread or roti dough. Gluten strands can form that will give a dense chewy texture in the fried veggie balls.
    So just mix very well and press so that the veggies release their juices. 
  • Then take a small portion of the mixture in your hands.
  • Press and roll it in your palm and make a round veggie ball. You can spread some oil on your palms while making the vegetable balls.
  • Make all veggie balls this way and set aside.

Frying veggie balls

  • Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Add a small piece of a ball to the hot oil. If the balls does not stick or settle down at the bottom of the pan, but comes up steadily the oil is ready for frying these veg manchurian balls.
    If the ball breaks, then some more binding agent is required. So you can add 2 to 3 teaspoons of some more all-purpose flour.
  • Gently place the balls in the hot oil. The oil has to be medium hot. Too much heat and the manchurian balls will be browned from top and uncooked from inside. Less hot oil will make the balls absorb too much of oil.
  • When cooked from one side and light golden or golden, turn the balls with a slotted spoon.
  • Fry the balls till crisp and golden turning over as needed for even cooking.
  • Remove them with a slotted or perforated spoon and drain as much as oil as possible.
  • Place the fried veg manchurian balls on kitchen paper towels.
  • Fry the veg manchurian balls this way in batches and keep aside.

Making sauce or gravy

  • In a small bowl take the following three sauces – soy sauce, tomato ketchup and red chilli sauce.
  • Mix the sauces very well and set aside.
  • In another small bowl take 1 tablespoon cornflour and 2 tablespoons water. Mix very well and set aside.
  • Heat 1 to 1.5 tablespoons oil in a pan or wok.
  • Add the chopped spring onions, finely chopped ginger, finely chopped garlic, finely chopped green chilies and finely chopped capsicum.
  • Stir fry on medium flame till the onions turn translucent.
  • Now add the mixed sauces. Stir and mix very well.
  • Add 1 to 1.25 cups water. Let the mixture come to a boil.
  • Mix the cornflour paste again in the bowl (as the cornflour settles at the bottom) and then add in the pan.
  • As soon as you add cornflour paste, mix very well so that there are no lumps.
  • Continue to stir and mix when the veg manchurian gravy is cooking. Simmer till the sauce thickens and you see a glaze in it.
  • There should be no raw taste of the cornflour in the sauce. Cooking sauce or gravy takes about 3 to 4 minutes on a medium heat.
    If the sauce is too thick, then you add some water. If it is too thin, then you can add some cornflour.
  • When the veg manchurian sauce thickens, add ½ teaspoon black pepper powder.
  • Season with a bit of salt. Do keep in mind that the soy sauce, chilli sauce and tomato ketchup already has salt in it. So add less salt and as per your taste preferences.
  • Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar. Mix very well.
  • Then add the fried veg manchurian balls. Also add 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar or regular vinegar or apple cider vinegar. 
  • Gently stir and coat the veg manchurian balls in the gravy.
  • Turn off the heat add chopped spring onion greens.
  • Serve Veg Manchurian Gravy hot garnished with some spring onion greens. This Manchurian Gravy pairs well with veg fried rice, plain steamed rice and even bread or the chapati or roti.

Video

Notes

  1. Consistency: The best part of most Indian-Chinese recipes is you can change the consistency as per your liking. If you want a thin consistency, add some veg broth or water. If you want a thick consistency, add a few teaspoons of cornflour paste. This dish thickens after it cools down. So when reheating you may have to add some water.
  2. Ajinomoto (MSG): I have not added any msg to the recipe. If you want a more restaurant style effect, you can do so. But a word of caution – msg or mono sodium glutamate is not good for the health.
  3. Frying: Remember to fry the veg manchurian balls on medium heat. If they are fried on a high heat, then the outside will get cooked and the inside will be not cooked leaving a doughy taste in the mouth. If they are fried on a low heat, they will absorb oil and this will make them oily and soggy.
  4. Sugar: I like the sweet sour taste of Indo Chinese food and hence I have added raw sugar to the recipe. You can use any other sweetener like palm sugar or coconut sugar instead of sugar. 
  5. Soy Sauce: Use naturally fermented soy sauce. The soy sauce I use does not have any sugar added to it. You may avoid this or check the ingredients list in your soy sauce if sugar is there in it or not.
  6. Non-fried veggie balls: For a low-fat version, you can cook the veggie balls in an appe-appam pan or æbleskiver pan. You could also try to air-fry the veggie balls in an air-fry
  7. Vegetable Customizations: Adding capsicum to the gravy or sauce is optional. Opt to add vegetables that you like while making the veggie balls. But do ensure that these veggies are not watery or full of juices like some gourds or zucchini. 

Nutrition

Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Sodium: 1162mg | Potassium: 268mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4263IU | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 0.1mg | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.1mg | Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 1mg | Vitamin B6: 0.2mg | Vitamin C: 40mg | Vitamin E: 6mg | Vitamin K: 56µg | Calcium: 44mg | Vitamin B9 (Folate): 40µg | Iron: 1mg | Magnesium: 19mg | Phosphorus: 44mg | Zinc: 0.3mg

This Manchurian recipe from the archives was first published on May 2012.

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Dassana Amit

I am Dassana Amit, a vegetarian chef and baker with decades of experience, professionally trained in Indian and continental cooking and baking. I’m also a certified pastry chef, trained at Le Cordon Bleu in plant-based patisserie. For over 16 years, I’ve shared trusted, strictly vegetarian recipes with step-by-step photos, expert tips, and practical guidance. Bringing together tradition, technique, and a love for honest, soulful vegetarian cooking.

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263 Comments

  1. mmm I havent had lunch today and by looking at these incredible photos my mouth his filled with water…

    Reply

  2. I love your step by step method shown here. It looks so delicious! Staying in the States, the one thing I do miss is Indian chinese.

    Reply

  3. as i told u ..i made it today in the lunch..had it till my ponch filled up completely..paired it up with fried rice..thanks for the recipe Dassana..

    Reply

  4. This recipe looks great! I am a great fan of soy sauce and i can use it in any stir-fry recipe!. Thanks for all the interesting information.

    Reply

  5. the information on soy sauce was very useful..the manchurian has been added in my menu for this sunday..and for the broken food processors..really i reminds me of my days when i had to grate all my carrots for gajar halwa..around i kg carrots…when i didnt hv food processor.

    Reply

  6. Dasanna, this recipe is amazing! I cannot wait to try these out. I am so glad you provided a recipe for the vegetable balls. I needed a good, tried and true recipe 🙂 Thank you!

    Reply

  7. the pic speak a thousand words…lovely photograph esp the chopsticks and all 🙂 the manchurian looks awesome!

    Reply

  8. Hi Dassana,

    Sorry to hear about both the broken food processors. But this looks incredible. As a matter of fact my mouth is watering. Your photos are beautiful:)

    Reply

  11. Thanks dassana. I didn’t know that there was any naturally fermented soy sauce. I have always been uncomfortable cooking chinese because of the chemical soy sauces…its different when one eats out ofcourse:) Willl let you know if I am able to source it from any store in mumbai.

    Reply

  13. i love love indo chinese foood. i have a food processor but it still doesnt make life simpler..:) i mean grate so many veggies, then make balls( me and making more than 10 balls do not go together) and then fry, make sauce.. phew:)
    yours have came out so prefect. I’d love to puck some up from the screen, so much easier:). i need to make some soon, might bake some to skip standing in the kitchen frying. i dint know anything about soy sauces till some months back. so many small facts that the food industry always manages to fool us with.

    Reply

    1. hey richa, for me the grating and chopping is too much. there was a time when i would chop all the veggies in the food processor. making balls and frying is alright. i have fried pooris for about 25-30 people once… that was phew for me 🙂

      there are many facts that the food industry does not want the consumers to know. but things are getting exposed now…

      Reply

  14. Wow, you have put in a lot of hard work in posting this recipe. It is hard to stop in between to take pics while cooking. Yet, you have presented it so well and with great clarity.

    Reply

    1. thanks family cook. it is not that difficult to take pics while cooking. but it takes a long time to cook than it would have been if i just had to take the pics of the final dish.

      Reply

  15. Lovely post. Reminded me of a day when I made this for a crowd of about 50 people 🙂

    Loved your chopsticks too. Where did you get it? I am still to try a naturally fermented soy sauce. Thanks for the link.

    Reply

    1. hey sangeeta, you are great ya. making veg manchurian for 50 people is commendable and shows you are such a pro in cooking.

      i got the chopsticks from fabindia. they had many of these types. you must try the naturally fermented soy sauce. it is way different than the soy sauce we generally use in india.

      Reply

      1. Hello ..thank you for the recipe..where can I buy naturally fermented soy sauce in india …kindly recommend the brand and link if any…5 stars

        Reply

        1. tara, i buy from a local super store here. in this recipe, i have used kikkoman naturally fermented soy sauce. you will be able to buy naturally fermented soy sauce from amazon.in. there are some brands which sell this type of sauce. just read all the reviews before buying. you can check other brands as well and their reviews.

          Reply

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