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.
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.
💚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 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.
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.
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.
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!
✔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!
❔Commonly asked questions
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.
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
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📖 Recipe
Soya Chunks Manchurian
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)
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
- 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
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.
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