Blog

Breakfast

Dessert

Drink

Main

Snack

30 Minute

Baking

Vegan

Non-Fried Veg Manchurian Gravy | Restaurant-Style Chinese Recipe

Non-Fried Veg Manchurian Gravy | Restaurant-Style Chinese Recipe

If you are in India and haven’t tried our own version of the Indian Chinese recipe – Veg Manchurian – then you have missed out on something really amazing. This street-style veg manchurian recipe has got all the flavors to hit the right spot and it is not deep fried. This non-fried manchurian recipe is made using Appe Pan (mini pancake or puffer pan). Since you just need to brush some oil all over, this Manchurian recipe feels non-oily and light. The best part is that you save a lot of oil.

There is some magic in Asian Recipes I guess. They all taste extremely delicious – light, and full of flavors and the aroma is to die for. If you enjoy this, then you must try our Street-Style Veg Chowmein recipe.

P.S. This recipe is inspired by Your Food Lab’s Veg Manchurian Recipe. But I made it healthier by not deep-frying Manchurian balls.

What is Veg Manchurian Gravy?

Veg Manchurian is an Indian Chinese dish in which we make small balls from grated or finely chopped vegetables which are then deep-fried until golden brown and crispy. These balls are served with a delicious and flavorful gravy made out of different kinds of Asian sauces like soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, etc. It is mildly sweet and sour to taste and pairs perfectly with some Hakka noodles or veg fried rice.

Why Non-Fried is better than Deep-Fried?

If you are someone like me who doesn’t like deep frying food unless it is very much necessary for the recipe like when I am making chhole poori or bhaturas. I just can’t make them without deep frying. So, I saved my deep-frying quota only for these couple of recipes. Otherwise, I always prefer baking or if possible Appe Pan.

I made many deep-fried recipes healthier by opting for a better cooking method. You must try our Baked Pani PuriSpring Rollsdum aloovada pavGobhi Manchurian & baked cheese balls. I made them healthier with no compromise on the taste.

Now, here are the reasons I don’t deep fry (until necessary):

  1. Deep-fried food feels heavy and oily after eating them.
  2. The non-Fried methods instead of deep frying make you feel that you are opting for healthier options.
  3. The biggest reason of all is that the oil becomes unhealthy after reaching the temperature of deep-frying. We are not supposed to use the oil again for cooking. But obviously, we can’t even discard the oil. So we consume it. That’s where switching to a non-fried method helps.
  4. The non-Fried method is much easier and hassle-free. There is no tension of ruining the oil if any Manchurian ball crumbles up. Or even if they crack, no extra oil will seep in.

Can we bake the Manchurian balls?

You can surely bake the Manchurian balls but the texture will be different from the deep-fried or non-fried ones (the one made in Appe Pan). Bake at 200 °C until golden brown.

Is this recipe vegan?

Yes. All the ingredients used in this recipe are plant-based and vegan. So, you can try this recipe if you are a vegan or vegetarian.

Non Fried Manchurian Gravy
Non Fried Manchurian Gravy

What is the best time to enjoy Veg Manchurian Gravy?

This recipe takes some time to prepare and that is why it is best to make for a weekend brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Easy Swaps

  1. Water: For more flavors in the gravy, use vegetable broth instead of water.
  2. Vegetables: Use any veggie of choice like bell peppers, cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli, etc.
  3. Soy Sauce: Use Tamari Sauce instead
  4. Sriracha Sauce: Add red chili sauce to add some heat to the gravy.
Non Fried Manchurian Gravy
Manchurian Balls
Non Fried Manchurian Gravy
Brush Oil in Appe Pan and Fry Manchurian Balls
Non Fried Manchurian Gravy
Manchurian Balls after frying in Appe Pan

More Asian Recipes – just as good

  1. Street-Style Veg Chowmein
  2. Non-Fried Spring Rolls
  3. Vegan Mango Avocado Sushi
  4. Vietnamese Fresh Summer Rolls

Serving Suggestions

Veg Manchurian Gravy can be served with the following:

  1. Hakka Noodles
  2. Street-Style Veg Chowmein
  3. Veg Fried Rice
  4. Steamed Rice
  5. Schezwan Fried Rice

P.S. All the recipes mentioned above are vegan and plant-based.

Tools Needed

  1. Appe Pan
  2. Food Processor (optional) – for faster chopping of vegetables

Now grab all the ingredients because you are ready to make this delicious, aromatic, and flavorful Veg Manchurian at home. It is perfect to enjoy over the weekend brunch or for dinner too. It looks fancy and you get the feel of restaurant-like food in the comfort of your home. So, make it, enjoy it, and have a delightful meal.

If you try this recipe & like it too, please share the photo of your creation on Instagram and tag us @thefearlesscooking. We just love to see your recreation of our recipes.

Happy Cooking 🙂

Love

Richa

Non-Fried Veg Manchurian Gravy | Restaurant-Style Chinese Recipe

Non-Fried. Lip-Smacking. Vegan.

Tell us what you think

This Non-Fried Manchurian Gravy is so delicious that you would never feel like deep-frying your Manchurian balls. Soft but tender, non-oily, light, and extremely flavorful. You MUST-TRY it.

Your Weekend Menu is set!

2

Servings

30 min

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time


Ingredients

Manchurian Balls

Manchurian Gravy

Steps

Manchurian Balls
  1. In a large bowl, add all the finely chopped veggies - cabbage, carrot, beans, and spring onion greens. 
  2. Use a food processor to chop everything quickly. I have Kenwood Food Processor.
  3. Sprinkle some salt on the veggies and mix well. Let it rest for 10 minutes. This step will release the moisture from the veggies.
  4. After 10 minutes, squeeze out all the liquid from the veggies. Use a muslin cloth or any towel to squeeze out the liquid. 
  5. DO NOT discard the liquid. You can add it to the gravy.
  6. Place the veggies in a bowl and add other ingredients - ginger, garlic, sriracha sauce, light soy sauce, green chili paste, and black pepper powder. Mix well. 
  7. Start adding all-purpose flour to the mixture, 1 to 2 Tbsp at a time. Mix and combine everything well. Check if you can form a smooth ball from the mixture. If not, add more all-purpose flour. The total flour I added is 3 Tbsp. 
  8. Take a little amount of the mixture and shape it into a ball. Repeat the same with the entire mixture. Total balls made - 12. 
  9. DO NOT squeeze hard to form a ball. This will make the balls hard.
  10. Heat Appe Pan and brush some oil all over the cavities or moulds. Lower the flame to medium-low and place the prepared Manchurian balls. Brush oil all over the balls. 
  11. Flip and cook from all sides.
  12. Cook on medium-low flame otherwise the outer layer will get cooked first and the inside will be uncooked. 
  13. Once the balls are golden brown from all sides, remove them from the pan and keep them aside. 
Manchurian Gravy
  1. Heat some oil in a large wok or kadhai.
  2. Add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili. Saute it on high flame for a minute or two until the onions are translucent. 
  3. Add 3 Cups of water along with the liquid squeezed out of the veggies. Mix well. 
  4. Add soy sauce, vinegar, tomato ketchup, black pepper powder, sugar, spring onion greens, fresh coriander, and spring onion bulbs. Stir well and bring to a boil. 
  5. Prepare cornstarch slurry - Mix 2 to 3 Tbsp cornstarch with 2 to 3 Tbsp water. 
  6. When the water in the wok starts to boil, add slurry and keep mixing. 
  7. Cook until the sauce thickens. 
Serving
  1. Add balls to the gravy while serving otherwise the Manchurian balls will become soft and soggy. Serve hot. 

FAQs

What is Veg Manchurian Gravy?
+

Veg Manchurian is an Indian Chinese dish in which we make small balls from grated or finely chopped vegetables which are then deep-fried until golden brown and crispy. These balls are served with a delicious and flavorful gravy made out of different kinds of Asian sauces like soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, etc. It is mildly sweet and sour to taste and pairs perfectly with some Hakka noodles or veg fried rice.


Is Veg Manchurian is a vegan recipe?
+

Yes. All the ingredients used in the veg manchurian gravy recipe are plant-based and vegan.


Can we make Manchurian Balls without deep frying?
+

Yes. Of course. You can make the Manchurian balls without deep frying them. Use Appe Pan to cook them or you can even bake them in the oven.


Why are my Manchurian balls hard?
+

If you add a lot of all-purpose flour to the mixture of Manchurian balls and squeeze them tightly while shaping, the balls will turn hard. To prevent that, add just enough flour to be able to shape them into balls, and do not squeeze tightly while shaping. Gently shape then balls.


What goes well with Veg Manchurian Gravy?
+
Veg Manchurian Gravy can be served with the following:
  1. Hakka Noodles
  2. Street-Style Veg Chowmein
  3. Veg Fried Rice
  4. Steamed Rice
  5. Schezwan Fried Rice
P.S. All the recipes mentioned above are vegan and plant-based.

Tell us what you think

Top