Fragrant and hearty, this veg Manchurian fried rice features crispy Manchurian balls and rice cooked in a savory, rich sauce. It is packed with colorful veggies and is incredibly delicious and filling.

This Indo-Chinese-inspired Manchurian fried rice is one of our go-to dinners whenever we have some extra time on hand! It is packed with tons of flavor, satisfying, and relatively easy to make. We love pairing it with sweet potato spinach curry, yellow lentil dal, or Chinese food like this Chinese vegetable curry.
Although this recipe calls for quite some ingredients, I promise the result is worth it!
💚Why you will love this recipe
- Incredibly tasty and hearty - Skip the takeout, and give this amazing Manchurian fried rice a go instead! It is savory, flavorful, and delicious without being overly heavy or oily.
- A healthier version - We will be baking the veg Manchurian balls instead of deep-frying them. The Manchurian balls are equally tasty and yum, yet are lower in fat. I have also included the instructions for deep-frying for those who prefer to cook it the traditional way.
- Can be prep ahead - The Manchurian balls store well and are freezable! You can batch make them on the weekends and use them to make fried rice whenever you want.
- Versatile and highly customizable - Most components of this dish are swappable, so you can customize this dish to suit your taste. I have included some substitution ideas in this post.
🤔What is Manchurian
Manchurian is a popular Indian dish hugely influenced and adapted from Chinese cooking. It usually consists of deep-fried battered meat, like chicken or fish, cooked in soy sauce-based gravy. Vegetarian varieties use vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, or cabbage to replace the meat.
We will use cabbage to make our Manchurian balls in this recipe and then add them to the fried rice. Instructions for baking and air-frying are also included for the health-conscious!
🧄What you will need
For veg Manchurian balls
For Manchurian fried rice
Seasonings needed
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Cornstarch - can be replaced with tapioca or potato starch.
- All-purpose flour - To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute it with rice flour or chickpea flour. A gluten-free blend will work as well.
- Rice - I use basmati rice here, but you can use other long or medium-grain rice like Jasmine rice or brown rice.
- It is recommended that you use rice that has been refrigerated overnight.
- If using freshly cooked rice, spread it out on a large plate and cool it completely before using. This will prevent your fried rice from turning clumpy and mushy.
- Sriracha - Reduce the amount used if you want this dish to be less spicy. You can even omit it entirely.
- Soy sauce - Can be substituted with tamari or shoyu. Use gluten-free ones, if needed.
🔪How to make
Here is a quick rundown of the steps involved in making Manchurian fried rice. The full detailed instructions will be in the recipe card below.
Making veg Manchurian
Combine all ingredients needed to make Manchurian balls in a large bowl. Mix until everything is well-incorporated.
Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and gently shape it into a ball. Repeat for the remaining mixture.
From here, you can either bake them in the oven, cook them in the air fryer, or even deep fry them!
Making fried rice
Heat some oil in a cast-iron pan or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Start by sauteing onion until translucent.
Add in garlic and ginger next. Fry for a minute.
Now, add your diced bell pepper and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until they have softened slightly.
Next, add cooked rice and Manchurian balls. Pour in stir-fry sauce, and fry until rice is hot.
Remove it from heat, then stir in green onion. Enjoy your Manchurian fried rice while hot!
✔Helpful tips
- Make sure to dry cabbage thoroughly before chopping. You can let them air dry in the colander after rinsing or pat dry them using a kitchen towel.
- You can chop your veggies either using a food processor or by hand. I prefer using the food processor as it is much quicker.
- If you have trouble shaping your Manchurian mixture, add in more flour, a teaspoon at a time. Be careful not to add too much, or your balls might turn out to be doughy.
- Avoid kneading Manchurian mixture for too long. This will cause gluten to develop, resulting in chewy Manchurian balls. Simply mixing until everything is well incorporated is sufficient.
- While shaping Manchurian balls, you might find using wet hands and utensils helpful as the mixture will be on the stickier side.
- After making mixture of Manchurian, shape and bake them immediately. The longer you let it sit, the more water the veggies will release, resulting in a watery mixture that is hard to shape.
✨Variations
Manchurian balls - Although this version of veg Manchurian only calls for cabbage, you can replace parts of or all of it with other kinds of chopped vegetables. Some veggies that will work include broccoli, carrot, cauliflower, and celery. Avoid using vegetables with a high water content like zucchini or tomatoes.
Rice - Any kind of long or medium-grain rice can be used in the recipe. You could also use other cooked grains like quinoa. To make this Manchurian fried rice lower in carb, you can substitute rice with cauliflower or broccoli rice.
Vegetables - As for the veg used in fried rice, you can replace them with any other veggies you have on hand like peas, snap peas, button mushrooms, or broccoli floret. You could even do 2-3 cups of frozen vegetable mix instead.
Oil-free - Bake your Manchurian balls without spraying on cooking oil. For the fried rice, omit sesame oil in the sauce, and use ¼ cup of water or broth to saute your veggies. If the mixture appears dry, add more water, a tablespoon at a time.
❄Storing suggestions
Manchurian balls - can be refrigerated for up to a week and frozen for 3 months. I recommend batch-making and freezing them, so you will not need to make these balls from scratch whenever making this fried rice!
Manchurian fried rice - Store them in an airtight container, and they will stay well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
❔Commonly asked questions
These veg Manchurian balls freeze beautifully and can be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply store them in a freezer bag or sealed container before keeping them.
Yes, you can! Line the air fryer with some parchment paper, and place Manchurian balls in one layer. Bake them for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F, turning them halfway through.
Freshly cooked rice can be used to make fried rice. The trick here is to spread the rice out on a large plate or baking sheet and let them cool down to room temperature before using. That way, your fried rice will turn out beautifully without being mushy or clumpy.
🍽More vegan fried rice
If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉
📖 Recipe
Veg Manchurian Fried Rice
Ingredients
For Manchurian balls
- 3 cups cabbage finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour *
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca/potato starch
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
For the sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari/shoyu
- 2 teaspoons sriracha (reduce if sensitive to heat)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
For fried rice
- ¾ medium red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 3 cups cooked basmati rice or other variety of rice (preferably refrigerated overnight)*
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
Instructions
For Manchurian balls
- If you are planning on baking them, preheat oven to 200C/400F.
- Mix all ingredients needed in a large mixing bowl. Stir until everything is just well combined.
- Scoop out 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time, and shape them into balls. If you have trouble shaping them, add more flour, a teaspoon at a time to the mixture.
- You can now proceed to cook them.
- Oven – Spray them with some cooking spray. Bake them for 40 minutes, turning them halfway through.Air fryer – Spray on some cooking spray and cook them for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F.Deep-frying – Heat up 1.5-2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry a couple of them at a time or a few minutes, or until the are golden brown.
For fried rice
- Mix together all ingredients needed for the sauce. Set aside.
- Heat up a tablespoon or so of neutral-tasting oil in a cast iron skillet / non-stick pan. Once heated, add in onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until translucent.¾ medium red onion
- Stir in ginger and garlic next. Fry for a minute until fragrant.3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- Now, add in diced bell pepper and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until they have softened slightly.1 red bell pepper, 1 carrot
- Add in rice and Manchurian balls. Pour in the sauce, and fry for a couple of minutes, or until rice is hot.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in green onions. Serve and enjoy while hot.¼ cup chopped green onion
Notes
- It is recommended that you use rice that has been refrigerated overnight.
- If using freshly cooked rice, spread it out on a large plate and cool it completely before using. This will prevent your fried rice from turning clumpy and mushy.
- Make sure to dry cabbage thoroughly before chopping. You can let them air dry in the colander after rinsing or pat dry them using a kitchen towel.
- You can chop your veggies either using a food processor or by hand. I prefer using the food processor as it is much quicker.
- If you have trouble shaping your Manchurian mixture, add in more flour, a teaspoon at a time. Be careful not to add too much, or your balls might turn out to be doughy.
- Avoid kneading Manchurian mixture for too long. This will cause gluten to develop, resulting in chewy Manchurian balls. Simply mixing until everything is well incorporated is sufficient.
- While shaping Manchurian balls, you might find using wet hands and utensils helpful as the mixture will be on the stickier side.
- After making mixture of Manchurian, shape and bake them immediately. The longer you let it sit, the more water the veggies will release, resulting in a watery mixture that is hard to shape.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Join the discussion !