Paneer manchurian recipe with video & step by step photos. Manchurian dishes from Indo chinese cuisine are a favorite among many. Gobi manchurian, mushroom manchurian, veg manchurian and chicken manchurian are some of the most known varieties. Paneer manchurian is similar to chilli paneer but the sauce made here is different. In this recipe, no chilli or chilli sauce is used and the proportions of other ingredients are different which tastes entirely different from chilli paneer.
To make paneer manchurian, Indian cottage cheese is batter fried first and then added to manchurian sauce. The recipe shared here is a semi gravy version and can be served as a starter or as a side with some noodles or fried rice. Paneer manchurian is best served hot and immediately out of the pan.
For more Paneer recipes you can check
Chilli paneer
Malai kofta
Paneer tikka
Paneer lababdar
Achari paneer
Paneer do pyaza
Paneer manchurian recipe
Paneer manchurian recipe | How to make paneer manchurian
Paneer manchurian is a delicious Indo chinese appetizer made with Indian cottage cheese. Deep fried paneer cubes are added to manchurian sauce. Paneer manchurian can also be served as sider with noodles & fried rice.
Ingredients (240 ml cup used)
Ingredients for paneer manchurian
- 200 grams paneer or Indian cottage cheese
- ¼ cup plain flour or maida (prefer organic flour)
- 3 tbsps corn flour or corn starch
- Salt as needed
- ½ tsp red chilli powder (optional) replace with pepper powder
- Water as needed to make batter
- Oil for frying
Making manchurian sauce
- 1 tbsp oil olive or sesame oil
- ½ to ¾ tbsp garlic minced
- ½ to ¾ tbsp ginger minced
- ¼ cup spring onion whites chopped
- ¼ to ½ cup capsicum chopped or bell pepper
- 1 tsp corn flour or corn starch or arrowroot powder
- ½ cup water (you may need little more, use as needed)
- 1 ½ tbsps soya sauce (use naturally brewed or organic, I used kikkoman)
- 2 tbsps tomato sauce (I used homemade sauce)
- ¾ to 1 tsp sugar
- ½ to ¾ tsp vinegar (use only if needed to give a mild tang)
- Salt as needed (use only if needed, I used about ¼ tsp)
- 2 tbsps Spring onion greens
How to make the recipe
Making paneer manchurian
- Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying paneer.
- While the oil heats, add corn flour, maida, salt and chilli powder to a bowl. Add water just enough to make a free flowing batter. The consistency must be moderately thick, not too thick or too runny.
- Dip the paneer cubes in the batter and deep fry in hot oil.
- Stir often and fry on a medium heat until golden and crisp. Drain them on a kichen tissue.
- Add 1 tsp corn flour to a bowl and add water. Mix and make a lump free slurry. Keep this aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wide pan. Regulate the flame to high.
- Add ginger garlic and saute for a min for the nice aroma to comes out.
Next add spring onion whites and fry for a min or two.
- Add capsicum and saute for another minute.
Pour soya sauce, tomato sauce and corn slurry. Make sure you stir the corn slurry once before pouring to the pan.
- Add more water if needed. Reduce the flame to medium and add sugar.
- Stir and check the taste of the sauce.
- Add pepper, salt and vinegar if needed.
- Allow the sauce to turn thick. Turn off the flame.
- Add the fried paneer and spring onion greens.
- Toss the paneer in the sauce well to coat evenly.
- Serve paneer manchurian hot.
Recipe Video
Video of paneer manchurian recipe
Preparation for paneer manchurian
1. Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying.
2. Add maida corn flour, salt and red chilli powder to a bowl. You can skip red chilli, I just used it for color.
3. Mix well. Pour water little by little and make a batter that is neither too thick nor too thin.
4. Add paneer cubes.
5. Coat them well with the batter.
6. When the oil is hot enough, drop the paneer cubes one after the other. You can drop them using a spoon or fingers.
7. Stir them after few minutes and fry until golden and crisp. Remove them to a kitchen tissue once done.
8. Add 1 tsp corn flour to a small bowl and mix it with 1/2 to 3/4 cup water. You can replace corn flour with arrowroot powder. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture. Set this aside.
How to make paneer manchurian
9. Heat a pan or wok on high heat with 1 tbsp oil in it. Saute ginger and garlic for a minute.
10. Add spring onions. Saute for a minute.
11. Add capsicum and saute for another 1 to 2 mins. Pour soya sauce. I have used organic soya sauce. If using dark or light soya sauce you will have to adjust accordingly as per your preference.
12. Next add tomato sauce and sugar. You will have to skip or add more sugar depending on your sauce. Mine was slightly sweet and sour, so 1 tsp works out well.
13. Lower the heat. Stir the corn flour mixture and pour it to the pan. Mix it well. Add more water if needed to bring it to a consistency.
14. Check the taste at this stage. Add little salt, pepper and vinegar. You can skip vinegar if the mixture already has an hint of sourness. I used apple cider vinegar.
15. Cook the sauce stirring continuously until it thickens a bit. This will just take a minute or two. The sauce thickens further after cooling, so when it is slightly thick but still of pouring consistency, turn off the stove.
16. Let the sauce cool down a bit, then add fried paneer. Mix it well to coat the paneer with manchurian sauce.
Serve paneer manchurian hot and immediately after preparing.
Kavya says
Ma’am your recipes are too good. It easy to make and food always tastes good. I love cooking with your recipe. Can you upload the recipe of dragon paneer?
swasthi says
Thanks Kavya
Dragon paneer is similar to schezwan paneer. You can check the recipe of schezwan paneer here
Mrs. Debjani Dutta says
Systematic and easy way of cooking
. 👌👌👌
swasthi says
Thank you so much
Rekha says
I followed the recipe and it came out tasting better than any restaurant I’ve ever eaten at.
I was a bit worried after adding soy sauce because it tasted really salty but after letting it cook it tasted PERFECT!
swasthi says
Hi Rekha
Thanks for trying. Happy to know you liked it.
🙂
Rida Fatima says
Can we add tomato puree instead of tomato sauce?
swasthi says
Hi Rida
Tomato pure doesn’t work here. You can use ketchup or chilli sauce. Any sauce can be used.
Ankitha says
I tried this and it was super awesome ? thank you ❤️
Dipesh Kataria says
Great recipe. I also switched 1tbsp of tamato sauce for 0.5-1 tbsp of keecap manis – it was fantastic!
swasthi says
Thanks for trying
Juhi says
Hi,
Love your blog for being Healthy and easy! Could you tell if the calories written at the bottom are per serving or of the total dish?
swasthi says
Hi Juhi
Thanks a lot. The calories are for the total dish.
bhavika says
amazing, you have made the whole procedure soo easy, that even a beginner the make it dish easily, thank you for making the complicated process soo simple
swasthi says
Welcome Bhavika,
Glad to know you liked it. Thanks