Mushroom Manchurian with Gravy
Who can resist crisp battered mushrooms tossed in a rich, dark sauce loaded with ginger, garlic, chilli, and soy sauce? Not me! I’m describing mushroom Manchurian — an indispensable staple of Indo-Chinese cuisine.
I love Indo-Chinese dishes when I can’t decide between Chinese or Indian flavours. After all, why not just have the best of both with dishes like chilli paneer, hakka noodles, or this recipe?
Manchurian dishes are some of the most beloved under the Indo-Chinese umbrella. Named after Manchu cooking (although it doesn’t bear much resemblance) and invented by an Indian-born restauranteur Nelson Wang, Manchurian dishes are characterised by glossy curries with tangy ketchup, fiery chilli sauce, and deeply salty soy sauce.
Although typically made with meat, paneer, cauliflower (gobi) or mixed veg, mushrooms are packed with natural umami flavour, so they’re the ideal ingredient to highlight in an Indo-Chinese recipe. Unbelievably meaty and juicy, you won’t be able to stop eating.
And the best thing? Mushroom Manchurian is an easy recipe, taking less than 30 minutes to cook from scratch. For a recipe that tastes this good? It’s a must-try.
❓What is Indo-Chinese Cuisine?
While everyone in India has likely heard of Indo-Chinese cuisine, Chinese people — and anyone in the West, even those familiar with Indian food — will be puzzled.
So, what is Indo-Chinese cuisine? Indo-Chinese food was invented by the Hakka people of southern China, who immigrated to Calcutta (then known as Kolkatta) in the late 1700s. They set up street food stalls, combining the best Chinese umami-packed stir-fries with India’s sumptuous, spicy curries.
The cuisine soon caught on and has been a mainstay of Indian street food ever since.
🍄 Mushroom Manchurian Ingredients
First, let’s talk about those gorgeoussss battered mushrooms. The batter is very light and gently seasoned, so you’ll only need a handful of pantry staples:
- Mushrooms are the core of this mushroom Manchurian dish, and it wouldn’t be the same without them! I love using chestnut mushrooms (called crimini in the U.S.) as they provide a slightly deeper flavour, but white buttons are fine. Clean them well!
- Plain flour (all-purpose flour in the U.S.) is the second most important ingredient.
- Cornflour (cornstarch in the U.S.) lightens the batter and makes it delightfully crispy. It’s a must.
- Salt and pepper season the batter. While I typically use freshly ground black pepper, you can use white or black; black pepper is earthy and punchy, while white pepper is sharp and spicy.
- Water adjusts the consistency of the batter so it adheres to the mushrooms and gets beautifully crispy.
For the Classic Manchurian Gravy, We’ll Need a Few More Ingredients
I’ve decided to share this mushroom Manchurian WITH gravy because I love eating this dish as a main course with rice. The gravy soaks into the rice in such a tempting way! Comparatively, dry mushroom Manchurian is best served as an appetizer.
However, you won’t need more ingredients than usual for the Manchurian gravy. The only difference between the two recipes is that mushroom Manchurian gravy has more added water, to simmer down into that beautiful sauce.
- Oil is a flavour carrier, allowing us to bring out the best of those stir-fried ingredients.
- Garlic melts down into a mellow buttery taste when stir-fried. Use lots!
- Spring onion is a common stir-fried ingredient in Chinese dishes. We stir-fry the whites and save the green part for garnishes.
- Green chillis lends an extra dose of spice to the recipe.
- Coriander stalks are tender, crunchy, and slightly peppery — Sounds strange, but they add tons of complexity to our sauce.
- Bell pepper is essential in most Indo Chinese dishes, and mushroom Manchurian is no different. Always use green; they add vibrant colour and a slight hint of bitterness. I cut them small, but you can leave them in crunchy large wedges.
- Onion boasts the umami notes and gives some texture. Preferably, use white onions or shallots.
- Ginger is punchy and peppery, bringing warmth to the rich sauce.
- Water adjusts the consistency of the mushroom Manchurian gravy.
- Chilli sauce brings the heaatttt. You can use your favourite brand; I mostly opt for Maggi masala sauce.
- Dark soy sauce gives us that distinctive Indo Chinese flavour, with a salty, caramelised umami taste.
- Ketchup is an unexpected but essential ingredient! It adds tangy sweetness.
- Cornflour (cornstarch in the U.S.) thickens the Manchurian sauce, making it lusciously glossy and full-bodied.
🔄 Ingredient Subs and Allergies
I’m always conscious of making my recipes as accessible as possible for people with allergies or dietary requirements. Mushroom Manchurian is completely vegan and nut free.
While the Indo Chinese mushroom curry isn’t gluten free or soy free, you’ll only need to make a few simple changes.
To make mushroom Manchurian gluten free, swap the plain flour (AP flour) in the batter for a gluten free alternative such as chickpea flour. The taste will alter slightly, but it will be just as delicious! Plus, switch out soy sauce for tamari, a similarly flavoured gluten free alternative.
To make mushroom Manchurian soy free, just use tamari or coconut aminos! Easy as.
I don’t recommend switching any other ingredients, although you can play around with the type of mushrooms you use. Shiitake, baby portobellos, and even oyster mushrooms would be irresistible.
🧑🍳 How to Make Mushroom Manchurian
Mushroom Manchurian comes together in record time! Once you have everything pre-prepped, grab a wok and start stir-frying — you’ll have the dish ready to serve in less than 30 minutes.
You can split the steps up into frying the mushrooms, making the stir-fry sauce, and bringing everything together. Seems easy, right? That’s because it is!
- Mix the batter by whisking plain flour, cornflour, salt, pepper, and water to a thick paste.
- Deep-fry the mushrooms by heating neutral oil until ready (for tips on temperature, scroll down to the full recipe card), dipping the mushrooms in the batter, then carefully placing them in the oil. Fry until golden brown and drain on paper.
- Mix the stir-fry sauce by combining chilli sauce, dark soy sauce, and ketchup.
- Make the cornflour slurry by mixing cornflour and water until smooth.
- Make the Manchurian gravy by heating oil in a large wok or kadai, then stir-frying the garlic, spring onion, ginger, green chilli, and coriander stalks until fragrant. Add the bell peppers and onions and toss again.
- Pour the stir-fry sauce into the pan and mix well, then adjust the consistency with water.
- Add the cornflour slurry to the pan and mix well, simmering until thick and glossy.
- Add the battered mushrooms into the sauce and toss to coat. Serve hot.
For more details instructions, scroll down to the recipe card (which is printable!).
Cookware You Need
🥟 What to Serve with Mushroom Manchurian?
Because this recipe has that rich and unctuous Manchurian sauce, it’s ideal as a main dish, not just an appetizer.
The obvious choice to serve with mushroom Manchurian is fried rice. Either egg fried rice (if not vegan), chilli garlic rice (if you like a fiery intense heat), burnt garlic fried rice, or simple steamed rice are all INCREDIBLE picks.
Or you can mix things up by opting for simple Chinese soy-sauce fried noodles or classic veg hakka noodles instead … but I like to be extra and have both a noodle and rice dish 😉
Plus, why not go all out with appetizers too? Vegetable spring rolls, salt and pepper tofu, vegetable potstickers, momos, sweetcorn soup … the opportunities are endless.
✨ This Mushroom Manchurian Recipe Is …
Mushroom Manchurian
Mushroom Manchurian is made from crispy battered mushrooms tossed in a thick, glossy, rich, and umami-packed Indo Chinese sauce.
Ingredients
For the Battered Mushrooms
- 280g Mushrooms, cleaned
- 3 tbsp Plain Flour (All Purpose)
- 3 tbsp Cornflour (Cornstarch)
- Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- Sea Salt, to taste
- 6 tbsp Water
- 1 ltr Neutral Oil, for deep frying
For the Manchurian Gravy
- 1 tbsp Neutral Oil
- 10 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Spring Onions, sliced
- 2 Green Chilis, finely chopped
- 2 Coriander Stalks, finely chopped
- 10g Bell Pepper (1 tbsp), finely chopped
- 20g Onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp Chilli Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Ketchup
- 200ml Water
For the Cornflour Slurry
- 1 tbsp Cornflour
- 2 tbsp Water
Instructions
- First, clean the mushrooms and cut them into halves or quarters.
- Mix the batter for the mushrooms. In a small bowl, whisk plain flour, cornflour, salt, ground pepper, and water into a thick paste.
- Add the mushrooms to the batter and mix well until coated.
- Deep-fry the mushrooms*. Pre-heat oil in a deep-fat fryer or deep kadai/wok. Once it heats (lower the tip of a wooden spoon into the oil; if the oil bubbles around it, your oil is ready), carefully lower mushroom pieces into the oil. Fry in batches until golden brown and drain on kitchen paper.
- Mix the stir-fry sauce. In a small bowl, combine chilli sauce, dark soy sauce, and ketchup. Set aside.
- Mix the cornflour slurry. In a small bowl, whisk the cornflour with water until you achieve a thick paste. Set aside.
- Begin making the mushroom Manchurian gravy. Heat a large kadai or wok over medium heat until steaming. Add oil and quickly stir-fry the garlic, spring onion, ginger, green chilli, and coriander stalks for a few seconds, until fragrant. Add the bell peppers and onions, and toss again.
- Add the stir-fry sauce to the pan and stir. Add the water to adjust the consistency and let it bubble.
- Stir in the cornflour slurry. Keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps and achieve a beautifully thick Manchurian sauce. Simmer until glossy, then add the mushrooms and toss in the sauce.
Serve hot garnished with spring onion greens.
Notes
* Usually I offer alternatives to deep frying, but air-frying or oven baking won't work so well with a liquid batter.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 312Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 831mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 6gSugar: 17gProtein: 8g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
