Manchurian sauce. This classic stir fry sauce used in Indo-Chinese dishes exhibit the perfect balance of myriad of flavors from ginger and green chilies to soy sauce and vinegar. Plus, a touch of greens like green bell peppers (capsicum) and spring onions (scallions) add a little extra interest. Cook low and slow adding layers of ingredients (flavors), and you are well on your way to re-creating this Indian restaurant favorite at home.
Why I Love This Indo-Chinese Sauce
Manchurian is classic Indo-Chinese, and it’s the spicy tangy combo that makes it absolutely delicious. In this recipe, soy sauce meets spicy green chilies and chili paste with a generous splash of vinegar and a touch of chopped veggies to make a wild combination of different flavors and textures. Let this mixture bubble into a glossy glaze, and you have a lip-smacking sauce for vegetable balls, chicken or paneer.
This sauce recipe only requires very basic pantry ingredients for such a high level of flavor. If you’re not afraid of the level of heat in this dish, you can add more chili paste to contrast the tangy umami flavor of the sauce. It’s the boldest flavor in this dish adding an in-depth character. Overall, the flavors might seem to be chaotic, but trust me, it’s absolutely amazing.
Key Ingredients In Manchurian Sauce
- Soy sauce - It imparts the signature bold umami flavor, and gives a dark, glossy hue and aroma to the sauce.
- Vinegar - The sharp acidic flavor adds tanginess.
- Onions - Finely chopped onions caramelizes to add sweetness.
- Ginger and garlic - Aromatic bases forming the foundation for all other flavors.
- Green chilies - Add heat.
- Spring onions (scallions) - Saute the white part for flavor and garnish with the greens.
- Bell peppers (capsicum) - Saute to retain a slight crunch.
- Cornstarch (corn flour) - Acts as a thickening agent with water.
How To Make Manchurian Sauce
Stir fry the aromatics - Start with heating up a little oil in a wok. Add garlic, ginger and green chilies to the oil. Gently toss and let them sizzle in the hot oil. Cook the onions until they are soft. You will also need to sauté some spring onion (scallion) whites and bell peppers (capsicum). Bell peppers bring a slight crunch.
Add the magic sauces - Soy sauce and vinegar are the key elements. Chili paste is optional if you want to add a bit of heat. And a little salt and pepper to balance it all. Let the sauce boil for about 4 minutes.
Thicken the sauce - Stir together cornstarch (corn flour) and water to make thick glossy sauce. Add this mixture to the sauce and boil to thicken it. Also, if the sauce is too thick, you can always add more water to get the right consistency.
Ingredients
Cornstarch (corn flour) slurry:
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon water
Sauce:
- ▢ 2 tablespoons oil
- ▢ 3 garlic cloves chopped
- ▢ 1 cm ginger chopped
- ▢ 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
- ▢ ½ cup chopped onion
- ▢ ¼ cup chopped whites of spring onions (scallions)
- ▢ ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper (capsicum)
- ▢ 1 ½ cups water
- ▢ ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ▢ ½ tablespoon vinegar
- ▢ ½ tablespoon chili paste optional
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ Chopped greens of spring onions to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- To make cornstarch (corn flour) slurry, combine together cornstarch (corn flour) and water in a small bowl.
- To make the sauce, heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic, ginger and green chilies. Saute, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic.
- Add onion. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until soft.
- Add spring onion whites (scallions) and bell peppers (capsicum). Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes or until soft.
- Add water, soy sauce, vinegar, chili paste (optional) and ground white pepper. Stir to combine. Season with salt.
- Cover with a lid. Simmer for about 4 minutes.
- Add cornstarch (corn flour) slurry. Stir to combine.
- If the mixture is too thick, add a little water.
- Cover and simmer for another 4-5 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped spring onions (scallions) (optional).
- Add this sauce to Indo-Chinese stir fries and noodles.
Video
Nutrition
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Use this stir fry sauce to make:
- Vegetable Manchurian
- Gobi Manchurian
- Chicken Manchurian
Ingredients
Cornstarch (corn flour) slurry:
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon water
Sauce:
- ▢ 2 tablespoons oil
- ▢ 3 garlic cloves chopped
- ▢ 1 cm ginger chopped
- ▢ 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
- ▢ ½ cup chopped onion
- ▢ ¼ cup chopped whites of spring onions (scallions)
- ▢ ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper (capsicum)
- ▢ 1 ½ cups water
- ▢ ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ▢ ½ tablespoon vinegar
- ▢ ½ tablespoon chili paste optional
- ▢ ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ▢ Salt to taste
- ▢ Chopped greens of spring onions to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- To make cornstarch (corn flour) slurry, combine together cornstarch (corn flour) and water in a small bowl.
- To make the sauce, heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add garlic, ginger and green chilies. Saute, stirring, for 2 minutes or until aromatic.
- Add onion. Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until soft.
- Add spring onion whites (scallions) and bell peppers (capsicum). Saute, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes or until soft.
- Add water, soy sauce, vinegar, chili paste (optional) and ground white pepper. Stir to combine. Season with salt.
- Cover with a lid. Simmer for about 4 minutes.
- Add cornstarch (corn flour) slurry. Stir to combine.
- If the mixture is too thick, add a little water.
- Cover and simmer for another 4-5 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped spring onions (scallions) (optional).
- Add this sauce to Indo-Chinese stir fries and noodles.
