Paneer Manchurian

Our dry version of Paneer Manchurian is a great appetizer or snack that can be served for gatherings, parties, game days, or special meals. This dish consists of crunchy deep-fried paneer tossed in the most delicious spicy Manchurian sauce.

What is Paneer Manchurian?

Paneer Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese appetizer or side dish made with deep-fried paneer coated in a spicy Manchurian sauce. It combines Indian and Chinese flavors. The sauce is made with simple ingredients such as ketchup, sugar, soy sauce, hot chili sauce, water, and cornflour.

Paneer is an Indian cottage cheese, that can be easily made at home by curdling whole milk with lemon juice, straining the liquid, and pressing the curd until you form a block of cheese. We've made panner cheese many times at home, as it can challenging to find.

This appetizer combines Indian flavors with Chinese seasonings and the result is simply delicious. You can find other versions of Manchurian dishes such as Gobi Manchurian, equally mouth-watering.

You can get this traditional recipe with gravy or dry. This recipe of Paneer Manchurian is a dry Paneer Manchurian recipe as we like this version of the recipe better.

Our Paneer Manchurian recipe is:

• Vegetarian
• An appetizer or side dish
• Very spicy
• Dry version
• Perfect for game day or parties

Can I make Vegan Paneer Manchurian?

Paneer is an Indian cheese, so this recipe is vegetarian. You can make a vegan version by swapping the Paneer for Tofu. Buy fresh tofu, cut it into cubes and follow the recipe as it is.

Another option is to make Cauliflower or Gobi Manchurian, as this recipe is vegan, using cauliflower instead of Paneer.

The Manchurian sauce is naturally vegan, so the only thing you would need to change is the panner.

How to make Paneer Manchurian

Crispy deep-fried Paneer

The first thing you need to make Paneer Manchurian is, of course, Paneer cheese. This type of cheese is not easy to find depending on where you live. For us, living in Spain, it was impossible to find already-made Paneer cheese, so we just made it at home.

If you need to make your own Paneer for this recipe, we recommend making it the day before. We made our Paneer following Basic Cooking video and it turned out perfect.

Once you have the Paneer whether this is homemade or store-bought, you will have to cut it into cubes, coat the paneer cubes with cornflour, flour, and water mixture, and deep fry or shallow fry in vegetable oil.

Ingredients

So, what do you need to make the best crispy Paneer? We keep the ingredients list for this part of the recipe really simple, keeping the sauce flavor-packed.

• Paneer
• All-purpose flour (use rice or arrowroot flour for a gluten-free option)
• Corn flour
• White pepper
• Water
• Salt
• Oil for deep-frying the paneer

Step-by-Step Cooking Method

1. Combine all the ingredients for the batter in a mixing bowl and mix well until you have a homogeneous batter. Coat, one by one, the paneer pieces so they don't break.
2. Add oil to a saucepan or a pan for deep frying and heat over medium heat. Add the cubes of paneer in batches so you don't overcrowd the pan. Once crispy, transfer to a plate on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

Manchurian Spicy Sauce

The second part of this recipe is making the yummy Manchurian sauce. You can start preparing the sauce while the paneer is cooking.

Ingredients

• Spring onion greens
• Garlic
• Tomato Ketchup
• Soy sauce (you can use tamari for a gluten-free option)
• Sambal Oelek or hot chili sauce
• Sugar
• White pepper
• Green bell pepper (optional) or green chilies
• Corn flour or corn starch

How to make Manchurian Sauce

1. Heat some oil over medium heat in a wok or a big frying pan. For this Paneer Manchurian recipe, we like using our wok. Add the spring onion, chopped green pepper, and garlic finely sliced or chopped.
2. Stir for a few minutes and then add the ketchup, soy sauce, Sambal Oelek, sugar, and white pepper.
3. Add water, stir, and cook for a few minutes.
4. Dilute the corn flour in a little water using a small bowl and add the cornflour slurry to the wok. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes and remove from the cooker.

Now all you need to do is add the fried paneer cubes, and some fresh spring onions on the top and serve this yummy Indo-Chinese appetizer!

Variations for our Vegetarian Manchurian recipe

You can find many different ways to make this Indo-Chinese recipe. Here you can find some variations to our recipe to suit your needs or tastes better.

• Bake the Paneer. Instead of deep-frying the paneer, you can bake it! This is a healthier version and still really yummy.
• Make it vegan. The vegan version of Paneer Manchurian can be made with tofu instead of paneer. Buy fresh tofu and follow the instructions to coat it and fry it. The sauce is naturally vegan.
• Add more veggies. You can add other fresh veggies to the dish.
• Make the gravy version of Paneer Manchurian. To make the gravy for Paneer Manchurian you will need to add more water and soy sauce. You can follow this recipe if you prefer to make gravy sauce.
• Instead of paneer, you can use another vegetable or protein such as Cauliflower Manchurian or Mushroom Manchurian, both vegan.
• Make our Paneer Manchurian gluten-free. Swap the all-purpose flour for rice or arrowroot flour and substitute the soy sauce for tamari (gluten-free soy sauce).

Serving Suggestions

Dry Paneer Manchurian is a dish that can be served as an appetizer, as a side dish, or as a main with some basmati rice, hakka noodles, vegetable Chow Mein, or flatbread. Normally, this Indo-Chinese dish is enjoyed as a starter or finger food at parties and other gatherings.

This dish is best enjoyed right after cooking it as the paneer will be nice and crispy.

Paneer Manchurian is spicy, so if you are serving this dish for people who enjoy just a little hit, we recommend serving it with some yogurt on the side, or a refreshing drink such as Mango Juice or Mango Lassi.

If you want to prepare other starters to serve with this Paneer Manchurian, you should have a look at our Onion Bhaji recipe.

FAQ and Tips

• What's the difference between gravy and dry Manchurian? Our recipe is a dry version of Paneer Manchurian, which consists in making enough sauce to coat the cheese. The gravy version is served with more sauce and normally as a main dish with rice.
• Can I bake the paneer to make Paneer Manchurian? Sure, you can get crispy Paneer by baking it and if you are planning on having this recipe often, you should bake it instead of deep-frying it. It's a much healthier version.
• Can this recipe be made gluten-free? Yes! Paneer Manchurian is an easy-to-make gluten-free appetizer. Swap the all-purpose flour for rice or arrowroot flour and substitute the soy sauce for tamari (gluten-free soy sauce).
• Can I make this recipe the day before serving it? The coating for the paneer cheese will get soggy, so we recommend making the sauce the day before and deep-frying the cheese the same day you want to enjoy this meal.
• How can I keep the paneer cubes from sticking to each other while cooking? Make sure the oil is hot enough and do not overcrowd the pan.

If you tried our recipe, please leave a comment or tag us on Instagram. We are always happy to see your creations! 

More delicious Vegan Indian Recipes:

• Vegan Butter Cauliflower
• Aubergine Curry (Eggplant Curry)
• Crispy Onion Bhaji
• Vegan Dal Makhani
• Tawa Pulao (Mumbai Style)
• Butter Bean Curry