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.
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.
💚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 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
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.
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.
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.
In the same skillet, add onion and saute until translucent.
Add ginger and garlic next, frying for a minute until fragrant.
Stir in chopped pepper and celery. Fry until veggies are tender, around 2-3 minutes.
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.
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!
❔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!
📖 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 2-3 times, squeezing out excess water after every rinse.2 cups soya chunks
- After the final rinse, firmly squeeze out excess moisture from soya chunks. In a plate, add rehydrated soya along with cornstarch, chili powder, and salt. Toss until the cornstarch and seasonings are well distributed.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, untouched, before flipping it over and cooking on the other side. Set aside for later use.
- Mix cornstarch and water together to make your cornstarch slurry. Set aside.1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Add another ½ tablespoon of oil in the skillet, 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
- 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 slightly higher in fats.
- 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.
Save this recipe!
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
Also get a FREE high-protein vegan recipe eBook + weekly new recipes! Unsubscribe anytime.
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.
Claire says
Very simple and tasty
Meesha says
Happy to hear that!