Veg Manchurian Fried Rice

A plate of Manchurian fried rice served with chopsticks with chopped green onion and soy sauce beside.

5 from 2 votes

Fragrant and hearty, this veg Manchurian fried rice features crispy Manchurian balls and rice cooked in a savory, rich sauce. It is packed with colorful veggies and is incredibly delicious and filling.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Baking time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 273kcal

Author: Meesha

Ingredients

For Manchurian balls

3 cups cabbage finely chopped
1 clove garlic minced
¼ onion finely chopped
¼ cup chopped green onion
3 tablespoons all purpose flour *
3 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca/potato starch
1 teaspoon sriracha
½ teaspoon salt or to taste

For the sauce

¼ cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari/shoyu
2 teaspoons sriracha (reduce if sensitive to heat)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon rice vinegar
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For fried rice

¾ medium red onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 red bell pepper diced
1 carrot diced
3 cups cooked basmati rice or other variety of rice (preferably refrigerated overnight)*
¼ cup chopped green onion

Instructions

For Manchurian balls

If you are planning on baking them, preheat oven to 200C/400F.
Mix all ingredients needed in a large mixing bowl. Stir until everything is just well combined.
Scoop out 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time, and shape them into balls. If you have trouble shaping them, add more flour, a teaspoon at a time to the mixture.
You can now proceed to cook them.
Oven – Spray them with some cooking spray. Bake them for 40 minutes, turning them halfway through.
Air fryer – Spray on some cooking spray and cook them for 20-25 minutes at 200C/400F.
Deep-frying – Heat up 1.5-2 inches of oil in a deep skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry a couple of them at a time or a few minutes, or until the are golden brown.

For fried rice

Mix together all ingredients needed for the sauce. Set aside.
Heat up a tablespoon or so of neutral-tasting oil in a cast iron skillet / non-stick pan. Once heated, add in onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
¾ medium red onion
Stir in ginger and garlic next. Fry for a minute until fragrant.
3 cloves garlic , 1 teaspoon minced ginger
Now, add in diced bell pepper and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until they have softened slightly.
1 red bell pepper , 1 carrot
Add in rice and Manchurian balls. Pour in the sauce, and fry for a couple of minutes, or until rice is hot.
Remove pan from heat and stir in green onions. Serve and enjoy while hot.
¼ cup chopped green onion

Notes

*All-purpose flour - To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute it with rice flour or chickpea flour. A gluten-free blend will work too.

**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.

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.

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.

Storing

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.

Nutrition