Cabbage is a such an easy veggie to use. Quite versatile too. Some kids may not like its texture but they certainly can't complain when it is served as a vegetable manchurian. You can use it in many ways. Make a cabbage paratha, fried rice ,vegetable Frankie or add it to your noodles, kofte ,pav bhaji or mixed veg curry or simple cabbage sabji with potatoes. I usually steam it before using to avoid any dirt when not cooking desi Chinese. It adds volume to any curry and crunch when eaten raw as a salad.
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What is Vegetable Manchurian?
Vegetable Manchurian is a fabulous fusion of Indo Chinese cuisine. It is a fabulous starter. Gravy manchurian goes well with fried rice as well as Hakka noodles. Spicy and tangy manchurian gravy recipe is a favorite with all age-groups. Add anything to Manchurian sauce it tastes delicious. Be it gobi, baby corn, paneer, chicken and cabbage manchurian.
Most people love to order it but making it at home is simple too. You can make it dry when you are avoiding carbs. Make a gravy if there are many mouths to feed.
Mum makes it really great. She has served it in so many parties. Moms are super cool. They keep learning just to ensure kids eat healthy. We loved eating Indo Chinese recipes as a kid. So she just learned it and made it at home. However, when we eat out, it is not possible to control the ingredients. MSG(or Ajinomoto) is generally added in Asian recipes to give a good flavor. However, some people are allergic to it. Others may want to avoid it due to dietary restrictions. Another issue, deep fried and low quality oil in markets. 
What do you eat with Manchurian?
Hakka noodles or fried rice are a generally served with it. Generally, gravy Manchurian balls are served on a bed of noodles or rice in a bowl and eaten hot. You can also pair this combo with veg manchow soup. Fried rice Manchurian are best made in a good wok. For that matter, any Indo Chinese dish tastes great in a wok. If you love your stir fry, invest in a good wok. It may take space in your cabinet but all the compliments make it worth it.
Healthy home-cooked Indo-Chinese:
When you make it at home, we can still get the same taste and make it healthy too .You can use corn starch, maize or tapioca starch to make the slurry for making the Manchurian balls. Either air-fry them or bake them in an oven. Later add to the gravy in a wok.
Equipment
Fried vegetable balls can be made healthier by using an air fryer. Air fryer ensures you use minimal oil. Use an oven to make the veg balls or alternatively steam the balls and shallow fry. I feel air fryer comes the closest to fried version. Make the Manchurian sauce in a wok and add balls to it.
Ingredients
Veg Manchurian balls
- Cabbage
- Ginger garlic chilly
- Black pepper and salt
- Plain flour/maida
- Corn flour/tapioca starch/arrow root powder
Veg manchurian gravy
- Soy sauce
- Tomato sauce
- Hot & sweet chilly sauce
- Tapioca starch/corn flour
- Water
vegetable mix
- Onion
- Capsicums/ green bell pepper
- Green onions/Spring onions
- Oil
- Salt and pepper
How to make vegetable Manchurian in air fryer? (video)
Watch the video here
how to make Manchurian & gravy ?( step wise )
- In a bowl, mix finely chopped garlic, ginger and chilly to grated cabbage. Add salt and pepper.
2. Add corn flour and plain flour and mix well. Keep it aside for 5 mins. It will release water which will help you bind the balls. 
3. Make round balls of equal size and place it in the air fryer basket. 
4. Cook for 10 mins at 200 deg C in an air-fryer or bake for 13 mins in a fan-forced oven. 
5. Brush with oil and cook for 13 mins in an air-fryer or bake for 16-18 mins in a fan-forced oven. 
how to make Manchurian gravy ?
7. Heat oil in a wok. Add finely chopped onions, finely chopped capsicums and spring onions to it along with salt and pepper. 
8. Add your sauces -soya, tomato and chilly. Mix well. 
9. Add corn flour/tapioca and water, mix well. Let it cook until you get a good color. If you like a more darker manchurian gravy, you can add more soy sauce. 
10. Add Manchurian balls to the gravy. Cook for 5 -10 mins.
Veg Manchurian recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer
- wok
Ingredients
For manchurian
- ½ cup maida/plain flour/all purpose flour
- 3 tbsp corn flour/tapioca flour
- 3 cup cabbage grated
- 1 tbsp. ginger chopped
- 1 tbsp. garlic chopped
- 1 tsp Chilly chopped
- Black pepper as per taste grounded
- Salt as per taste
For gravy manchurian recipe
- 2 tbsp oil
- ¼ cup onions chopped
- ¼ cup green capsicum chopped
- ¼ cup spring onions chopped
- Salt and black pepper as per taste
- 1 tbsp. tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. hot -sweet chilli sauce
- 2 tsp corn flour/tapioca starch
- 1.5 cup water
Instructions
For manchurian balls
- In a bowl, mix ginger, garlic and chilly to grated cabbage. Add salt and pepper.
- Add corn flour and plain flour and mix well.
- Keep it aside for 5 mins. It will release water which will help you bind the balls.
- Make round balls of equal size and place it in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 10 mins at 200 deg C in an air-fryer/13 mins in a fan-forced oven.
- Brush with oil and cook for 13 mins in an air-fryer or 16-18 mins in a fan-forced oven.
- Keep it aside and add to gravy once ready.
For the gravy
- Heat oil in a wok.
- Add onions, capsicums and spring onions to it along with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 mins.
- Now, add your sauces -soya, tomato and chilli. Mix well.
- Add corn flour/tapioca and water and mix well. Let it cook until you get a good deep brown color.
- Now, add manchurian balls to the sauce. Cook until you get the consistency as per your choice.
- Garnish with some sesame seeds. Serve with hakka noodles or fried rice.
Notes
Variations
Increase the heat by adding more red chilli sauce and sauces according to your taste.
Substitutions
You can also make gobi Manchurian ,paneer Manchurian and soy Manchurian in a similar fashion.
Storage
Make the Manchurian balls and store in an air-tight jar in refrigerator 1-2 days earlier. Make a fresh sauce mix and serve as soon as guests arrive.
Looking for more Asian style recipe?
Click on the below delicacies
- Chilli paneer/Paneer Manchurian(air fryer)
- Gobi Manchurian
- Veg Hakka Noodles
- Tofu Noodle soup
- Vietnamese salad
Need more air fryer recipes?
Also, click here to view recipe videos.
Pooja Mohanty says
Looks yumm and low cal too