Last updated on June 29th, 2020

Paneer manchurian recipe is a delicious indo Chinese starter recipe popular across all Indian restaurants. You can make this paneer starter easily at home with simple ingredients. Serve as starter or make it saucy to serve as side dish with noodles or fried rice. Here is how to make best paneer manchurian recipe with step by step photos.

What Is Paneer Manchurian?

Paneer manchurian is a vegetarian variation for the ever popular chicken manchurian recipe. Manchurian recipes are very popular indo chinese fare and there are wide range of these recipes like

This dry manchurian with paneer is one more take on this delicious theme and goes very well as snack or starter. If you want to make this as paneer manchurian gravy I have given the instructions below, do check.

While the dry version goes well as snack, you can serve the manchurian gravy as side dish with fried rice, noodles or even steamed rice.

How To Make Paneer Manchurian Dry?

To make dry paneer manchurian first we need to batter fry the paneer cubes. You can deep fry or shallow fry the paneer cubes.

The fried paneer cubes are then quickly tossed in a sweet and spicy manchurian sauce prepared with capsicum, soy sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar etc.

Finally we garnish the dish with spring onion greens and serve hot.

How To Make Gravy Paneer Manchurian?

For making gravy version of this recipe, the initial steps remain the same. Fry the batter coated paneer cubes as mentioned in the recipe.

Next prepare the manchurian sauce as mentioned in the recipe. Once the thick sauce is ready just add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Make a cornflour slurry with 2 tablespoons corn flour and 1/4 cup water. Add this to the boiling sauce and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Finally add the fried paneer cubes and simmer for a minute. Serve hot with finely chopped spring onion greens.

Tips For Best Paneer Manchurian Recipe

Try to use celery for this recipe for that signature indo chinese flavor. If celery is not available use thick stems of cilantro or coriander.

Use good quality dark soy sauce preferably naturally brewed soy sauce.

vegans can easily use tofu in place of paneer.

If you are looking for more indo chinese recipes do check chilli paneer gravy, baby corn manchurian, sesame honey chilli potato, gobi manchurian, veg manchurian gravy

Do try this easy paneer manchurian recipe and let me know how you liked it 🙂

How To Make Paneer Manchurian Recipe Step by Step

1. To begin making paneer manchurian chop the onions and bell peppers into bite sized cubes. Chop spring onion whites finely. Also chop the celery and spring onion greens finely.

2. Cut the paneer into bite size cubes. Take the paneer pieces in a mixing bowl and add corn four, salt, pepper powder. Toss well and coat the paneer cubes. If you are using tofu just prep the tofu cubes in the similar way.

3. Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a pan and once the oil is hot add the paneer cubes.

4. Fry the paneer cubes in low flame till the color changes slightly.

5. Remove the fried paneer into a plate.

6. Retain the same pan in the stove and remove the excess oil (about 3 tablespoons oil can be removed). Now add the crushed ginger-garlic and fry well. Add the celery, spring onion whites and fry for a minute.

7. Now add the cubed onions and fry in high flame for 1-2 minutes.

8. Add the cubed bell peppers and saute well.

9. Add soy sauce,tomato ketchup. Mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt,pepper powder and sugar. Mix well.

10. Add the fried paneer cubes and mix well and coat the paneer cubes with the sauces. Add vinegar, aute for 2 minutes and remove from flame. Serve paneer manchurian as a snack or starter.