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    Home » Vegan Asian Recipes

    Soya Chunks Manchurian

    Published: Aug 12, 2022 by Meesha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    2 images of a plate of soya chunk manchurian served with rice with text between pictures.
    Soya chunk manchurian in a cast iron pan served with spoon topped with chopped green onion.
    A pan of soya chunk manchurian with chopped green onion, water, and bowl of rice beside with text overlay.

    Featuring golden soya chunks cooked in a delicious rich gravy, this soya chunks Manchurian will be your next favorite dish! It is jam-packed with flavors, savory and mildly spicy. Easy to make and ready in 30 minutes. 

    A pan of soya chunks manchurian served with spoon with bowl of rice and dish of chopped green onion beside.

    This soya chunks Manchurian is a recreation of the popular Chinese-Indo dish - chicken Manchurian! Bold, flavorful, and irresistibly delicious, this dish will wow even non-vegans. I love pairing it with a side of basmati rice, chickpea pulao, or Indian flatbreads like paratha. 

    Jump to:
    • 💚Why you will love this recipe 
    • 🤔What are soya chunks 
    • 🧄What you will need 
    • 📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 
    • How to make 
    • ✔Helpful tips 
    • 🍚How to serve 
    • ❔Commonly asked questions
    • 🍽More vegan Indian recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    💚Why you will love this recipe 

    • Rich, delicious, and mildly spiced 
    • Versatile and goes well with any dishes 
    • A great source of plant-based protein 
    • Lower in fats and calories - soya chunks are pan-fried instead of fried! 

    🤔What are soya chunks 

    If you have yet to try out soya chunks, you are missing out! This amazing meat substitute is super popular in Indian cooking and sometimes is known as meal maker or nutri nuggets. 

    Like TVP, they are made from defatted soy flour, a byproduct of manufacturing soybean oil. Hence, they are incredibly high in protein, and a 50g serving provides more than 25g of protein. They also have the perfect meaty texture and absorb flavors well. 

    🧄What you will need 

    Ingredients needed like soya chunks, cornstarch, chili powder, and salt.
    Ingredients needed like green pepper, cornstarch, red onion, celery, garlic, and ginger.
    Seasonings needed like soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, sriracha, and ketchup.

    📃Ingredients notes and substitutions 

    • Soya chunks - also known as meal maker or nutri nuggets. I recommend getting medium to small-sized chunks like Nutrela’s soya chunks. 
    • Soy sauce - Can be substituted with shoyu or tamari. Use gluten-free ones, if needed. 
    • Sugar - Although I am using coconut sugar here, you can use any sweeteners in place. 

    How to make 

    Here is a quick rundown of the steps involved in making soya Manchurian. 

    Rehydrate soya chunks by simmering them in a pot of water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse them in water for 4-5 times.

    Squeeze out excess water using your hands before adding in cornstarch, chili powder, and salt. Toss until everything is well incorporated.

    Rehydrated soya chunks in water in a pan on a white checkered teacloth.
    Seasoned soya chunks on a plate on a white checked teacloth.

    Heat some oil in a cast-iron skillet/non-stick pan. Pan-fry soya chunks for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until most sides are nicely browned. Set aside. 

    Add more oil into the same pan, and saute onion until translucent before adding ginger and garlic. 

    Pan fried soya chunks in a black cast iron pan.
    Cooked onion, garlic and ginger in a pan on a checked white cloth.

    Mix in chopped pepper and celery. Fry for 2-3 minutes until veggies have softened. 

    Pour in the broth and all seasonings, and bring the mixture to a boil. Next, pour in cornstarch slurry, and cook until the sauce is thick and shiny. 

    Cooked aromatics and vegetables in a black pan on a white checked cloth.
    Pouring cornstarch slurry into a pan of manchurian gravy.

    Lastly, toss in cooked soya chunks, and stir until everything is well combined. Top with chopped green onion and your soya chunks Manchurian is ready to be served! 

    Soya chunk manchurian in a cast iron pan on a white checkered cloth.

    ✔Helpful tips 

    • Remember to squeeze out excess water from soya chunks after boiling them to ensure that they absorb flavors well and develop a crispy exterior. 
    • Use medium to small-sized chunks. If using larger chunks, cut them into smaller pieces using scissors.
    • You could choose to deep fry your soya chunks. To do so, heat about ½-1 cup of cooking oil and fry them until golden brown. 
    • Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days but might turn slightly soggy. 
    • If you plan to make this ahead of time, keep pan-fried soya chunks and gravy separated. Heat soya chunks in an oven or air-fryer and gravy on the stove when ready to enjoy. Combine both, and it is ready to be served. 

    🍚How to serve 

    Rice - Simply serve soya chunks Manchurian with a side of steamed rice, or you could make chickpea pulao or vegan egg fried rice. 

    Noodles - Serve it with stir-fry noodles like teriyaki soba noodles, bami goreng, or shirataki noodles for a lower-carb version. I also love making this tandoori pasta to go with it! 

    Other mains and sides - Side dishes like tofu egg rolls and tandoori tofu pair well with this dish. You could also cook some curries like Madras curry or Chinese vegetable curry. 

    Indian flatbreads - Any kind of flatbreads, be it naan or vegan chapati goes really well with this soya chunks Manchurian! 

    Soya chunk manchurian served with rice on a plate with chopped green onion and a glass of water beside.

    ❔Commonly asked questions

    Are soya chunks gluten-free?

    Soya chunks are naturally gluten-free as they are made from soybeans. However, as cross-contamination may occur during processing, I recommend purchasing a certified gluten-free one, like this Clearspring brand,  if you are intolerant to gluten.

    How do I prepare soya chunks before using them?

    There are a few ways to rehydrate soya chunks before using them. The quickest method is to boil them in water for a couple of minutes. Alternatively, you can soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes.

    Once they are rehydrated, rinse them in water 4-5 times, then squeeze out excess moisture. Your soya chunks are ready to be cooked!

    🍽More vegan Indian recipes

    • Cabbage Manchurian
    • Creamy Tandoori Pasta
    • Veg Manchurian Fried Rice
    • Flavorsome Soya Chunks Dry Masala

    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

    A pan of soya chunk manchurian served with spoon with green onion, glass of water, and bowl of rice beside.

    Soya Chunks Manchurian

    Meesha
    Featuring golden soya chunks cooked in a delicious rich gravy, this soya chunks Manchurian will be your next favorite dish! It is jam-packed with flavors, savory and mildly spicy. Easy to make and ready in 30 minutes.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine Indian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 124 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    For soya chunks

    • 2 cups soya chunks
    • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    For gravy

    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon water
    • 1 medium red onion diced
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
    • ½ stalk celery finely chopped
    • ¼ green pepper finely chopped
    • 1 cup vegetable broth

    Seasonings

    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
    • 1 tablespoon ketchup
    • 1-2 teaspoons sriracha
    • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
    • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
    • ½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Simmer soya chunks in a pot of water for 3-4 minutes to rehydrate them. Rinse them in water for 4-5 times.
      2 cups soya chunks
    • Squeeze out excess water from rehydrated chunks using your hands, then mix in cornstarch, chili powder, and salt.
      2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon salt
    • Heat up a tablespoon or so of neutral-tasting oil in a cast-iron skillet/non-stick pan over medium high heat. Pan-fry for 2-3 minutes on one side, or until all sides are lightly browned. Set aside.
    • Mix cornstarch and water together to make your cornstarch slurry. Set aside.
      1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • Add and heat up another ½ tablespoon of oil, then saute onion for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
      1 medium red onion
    • Add ginger and garlic, and fry for a minute until fragrant.
      2 teaspoons minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic
    • Then, toss in chopped pepper and celery. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until veggies have softened.
      ½ stalk celery, ¼ green pepper
    • Pour in broth along with all seasonings. Bring mixture to a simmer, then add cornstarch slurry. Cook for a couple of minutes, or until sauce is thick and shiny.
      1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1-2 teaspoons sriracha, 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 cup vegetable broth
    • Add cooked soya chunks back to the pan, and mix until everything is well incorporated. Give it a taste, adding more soy sauce if needed. Garnish with some chopped green onion, and enjoy!

    Notes

    Helpful tips 
    • Remember to squeeze out excess water from soya chunks after boiling them to ensure that they absorb flavors well and develop a crispy exterior. 
    • Use medium to small-sized chunks. If using larger chunks, cut them into smaller pieces using scissors.
    • You could choose to deep fry your soya chunks. To do so, heat about ½-1 cup of cooking oil and fry them until golden brown. 
    • Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days but might turn slightly soggy. 
    • If you plan to make this ahead of time, keep pan-fried soya chunks and gravy separated. Heat soya chunks in an oven or air-fryer and gravy on the stove when ready to enjoy. Combine both, and it is ready to be served. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 124kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 12gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 938mgPotassium: 114mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 345IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 3mg

    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.

    Did you make this recipe ?Tag @myplantifulcooking on Instagram !

    More Vegan Asian Recipes

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    • Wakame Miso Soup with Cabbage
    • Vegan Chinese Tofu Dumplings
    • Vegan Miso Ramen

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Claire

      November 24, 2022 at 1:05 am

      5 stars
      Very simple and tasty

      Reply
      • Meesha

        November 26, 2022 at 9:03 am

        Happy to hear that!

        Reply

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