Soya Chunks Manchurian

Name: Soya Chunks Manchurian
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 cups soya chunks; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 1 teaspoon chili powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 tablespoon water; 1 medium red onion (diced ); 3 cloves garlic (minced ); 2 teaspoons minced ginger; 1/2 stalk celery (finely chopped ); 1/4 green pepper (finely chopped ); 1 cup vegetable broth; 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; 1/2 teaspoon sugar ((optional))

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Featuring pan-fried soya chunks cooked in a rich and savory gravy, this soya chunks Manchurian is a great meatless dinner! It is packed with flavors, 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.

Inspired by the popular Indo-Chinese dish - chicken Manchurian, this soya chunk Manchurian will please even meat eaters! It is incredibly flavorful and saucy and goes well with many dishes. I love serving it with rice dishes like chickpea pulao and tofu fried rice.

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💚Why you will love this recipe
🤔What is Manchurian
🧄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
Simple to prepare and ready in 30 minutes
Healthier and lower in fats - soya chunks are pan-fried instead of fried!

🤔What is Manchurian

Manchurian is a popular Indian-Chinese fusion cuisine made by chopping and deep frying ingredients such as chicken, cauliflower, and paneer. The fried ingredients are then cooked in a savory and flavorful sauce made from soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and chilies, along with other aromatics and seasonings.

This combination of ingredients results in a sweet and umami dish that is mildly spicy. It is highly versatile and is commonly served as an appetizer or side to accompany rice or noodle dishes.

This vegetarian version of Manchurian is made from soya chunks instead of chicken. Soya chunks, like TVP, 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.
Dark soy sauce - An optional ingredient that boosts the umami flavors of the sauce.
Sugar - Although I am using coconut sugar here, you can use any sweeteners in place.

🔪How to make

Rehydrated soya chunks in a saucepan filled with water on a folded white checkered teacloth.

Rehydrate soya chunks by simmering them in water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse them in water for 2-3 times, gently squeezing the soya chunks to remove excess water after every rinse.

Seasoned soya chunks on a white plate on a white folded checkered teacloth.

After the final rinse, firmly squeeze out excess moisture from the soya. Add them to a plate along with cornstarch, chili powder, and salt. Toss until everything is well incorporated.

Fried soya chunks in a cast iron skillet on a white folded teacloth.

Heat oil in a skillet, and place soya chunks in one layer. Pan-fry for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Set aside.

Cooked onion in a cast iron skillet on a white folded checkered teacloth.

In the same skillet, add onion and saute until translucent.

Cooked onion, ginger, and garlic in a skillet on a white folded teacloth.

Add ginger and garlic next, frying for a minute until fragrant.

Cooked onion, celery, and green bell pepper in a skillet on a white folded teacloth.

Stir in chopped pepper and celery. Fry until veggies are tender, around 2-3 minutes.

Pouring cornstarch slurry into a pan of sauce.

Add broth and seasonings to the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil. Add cornstarch slurry and simmer until sauce is thick and shiny.

A pan of soya chunk manchurian on a white folded teacloth.

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

✅Helpful tips

Squeeze out excess moisture from the soya chunks - After boiling and rinsing, gently squeeze the soya chunks to get rid of the water. This allows soya chunks to absorb flavors and crisp up better.
Frying soya chunks - Instead of pan-frying, you could deep fry soya chunks in oil instead! Fried soya chunks will be slightly crispier but higher in fats.
Switch up the vegetables used - Although this recipe calls for celery and green pepper, you can also add other veggies such as tomatoes, bell peppers of any kind, and carrots.
Make it saucier - Increase the amount of broth added by ½ cup or so, adding more cornstarch slurry if needed (for the slurry, simply combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add it gradually until it reaches the desired thickness)
Serve immediately - Soya chunks Manchurian is best served within an hour of cooking to preserve the crispiness of the soya chunks. However, leftover Manchurian can be refrigerated for 2-3-days.

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🍚How to serve

Rice - Simply serve soya chunks Manchurian with steamed rice, or you could make fried rice like my vegetable fried rice or green curry 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, vegetable lumpia, tandoori tofu pair well with this soya Manchurian. You could also cook some curries like Madras curry or Chinese vegetable curry.

Indian flatbreads - Any kind of flatbreads, be it naan, paratha, or 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

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