Veg Manchurian Fried Rice

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 

🍽More vegan fried rice

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