Veg Manchurian
वेज मंचूरियन
Veg Manchurian is the crown jewel of Indo-Chinese cuisine — a uniquely Indian invention that has absolutely nothing to do with actual Manchuria. Created in the early 1970s by Nelson Wang at Cricket Club of India in Mumbai, it consists of deep-fried vegetable balls made from finely grated cabbage, carrot, and beans bound with cornflour, dunked in a glossy, umami-rich sauce of soy, chilli, garlic, and ginger. It comes in two avatars: the saucy gravy version eaten with fried rice, and the dry version eaten as a snack or starter. The dry version — sticky, intensely flavoured balls tossed in the wok until lacquered with the sauce — is what Gen Z lines up for at every street-side Chinese stall from Kolkata to Mumbai. The taste is unlike any Chinese or Indian dish: it is its own extraordinary thing.
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Medium
Prep 20 min · Cook 25 min
Ingredients
Method
Make veggie balls: Squeeze ALL moisture out of grated cabbage and carrot in a clean cloth — this is critical. Combine with beans, ginger, garlic, cornflour, flour, a pinch of salt, and ½ tsp soy sauce. Mix and form into walnut-sized balls. The mixture should hold shape when pressed. If too wet, add more cornflour. Deep-fry in hot oil (175°C) in batches for 3–4 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on paper.
About 15 min
Tip: Squeezing out moisture is the most important step. Wet balls disintegrate in oil.
Make the sauce: Heat oil in a wok over highest heat. Add garlic and ginger — stir-fry 30 seconds. Add spring onion whites. Add soy sauce, red chilli sauce, and green chilli sauce. Stir-fry 1 minute. Add 100ml water. Bring to boil. Add cornflour slurry, stir until sauce is glossy and thickened (coats a spoon).
About 8 min
Tip: High heat and a wok are essential for Indo-Chinese cooking — the "wok hei" (breath of the wok) aroma is what makes it taste like the street stall.
Toss and serve: Add the fried balls to the sauce. Toss vigorously over high heat for 1–2 minutes until each ball is completely lacquered. For dry manchurian, let the sauce reduce until it just clings. Finish with spring onion greens. Serve immediately — Manchurian waits for no one.
About 3 min
Tip: Eat within 5 minutes of plating — the balls soften quickly in the sauce.
Nutrition per serving (estimate)
- Calories
- 280
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 820 mg
Contains: gluten, soy
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Recipe by Boon Tools.