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If you love Indo-Chinese food but want to avoid deep-fried snacks, this Healthy Veg Manchurian Without Deep Frying is worth trying! It is a delicious homemade version of restaurant-style vegetable Manchurian, prepared using colourful vegetables and cooked in an appe pan with very little oil.
No Deep Fry Mix Veg Manchurian Recipe in Appe Pan
Traditional vegetable Manchurian balls are generally deep-fried before being tossed in a flavourful sauce. In this recipe, we skip deep frying and cook the vegetable balls in an appe pan until golden and lightly crisp on the outside.
The Manchurian balls are made using cabbage, beans, onion, beetroot, carrot and capsicum, with oats flour and rice flour for binding. They are then coated in a simple homemade sauce prepared with garlic, green chillies, onion, capsicum, spring onion and soy sauce.
Serve this delicious Veg Manchurian as a starter, evening snack or with steamed rice for a satisfying meal. You can also try my other Indo-Chinese recipes like- deep fried veg manchurian recipe without cornflour, chinese style masala idli fry, dry arbi manchurian, vegan tofu fried rice
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Why You Will Love This Healthy Homemade Mix Veg Manchurian
- No deep frying: The vegetable balls are cooked in an appe pan instead of being submerged in oil.
- Less oil: Only a small amount of oil is needed for cooking the balls and preparing the sauce.
- No MSG: Free from any msg powder which is usually added to the Chinese street food to enhance the taste.
- Vegetable-loaded: This recipe combines several colourful vegetables in one delicious snack.
- Homemade sauce: You can adjust the salt, spice and sauce consistency according to your preference.
- Easy to prepare: No complicated cooking techniques or special ingredients are required.
Ingredients for Appe Pan Mix Veg Manchurian
For the vegetable balls
Cabbage: Finely chopped cabbage provides bulk, moisture and a mild flavour. It is one of the main vegetables used in traditional vegetable Manchurian.
Beans: Finely chopped beans add a pleasant bite and texture to the vegetable mixture.
Onion: Onion adds natural sweetness and flavour to the Manchurian balls.
Beetroot: Beetroot gives the vegetable mixture a beautiful colour and contributes natural sweetness.
Carrot: Carrots add mild sweetness, colour and a pleasant vegetable texture.
Capsicum: Capsicum adds a fresh flavour and complements the Indo-Chinese taste.
Oats flour: Oats flour helps absorb some moisture and contributes to binding the vegetables. Oats are a source of dietary fibre, including beta-glucan, which is associated with several health benefits. Including fibre-rich foods as part of a balanced diet is recommended.”
Rice flour: Rice flour is used to bind the vegetable mixture and helps create a firmer texture. Add it gradually because the quantity depends on the moisture released by the vegetables.
Salt and red chilli powder: These seasonings enhance the taste of the vegetable balls.
If you see veggies has a lot of moisture you can also squeeze out the moisture before adding oats and rice flour to it.
For the Manchurian sauce
Garlic: Garlic provides the characteristic aroma and flavour of Indo-Chinese cooking.
Green chillies: They add heat and freshness to the sauce. Adjust the quantity according to your spice preference.
Onion: Onion adds sweetness and flavour to the homemade sauce.
Capsicum: Capsicum provides crunch and colour.
Spring onion: Spring onion adds a fresh, mildly pungent flavour and gives Manchurian its familiar restaurant-style aroma.
Soy sauce: Soy sauce gives the sauce its signature savoury and umami flavour. It can be relatively high in sodium, so use it in moderation, particularly if you are watching your salt intake..
Rice flour slurry: Rice flour mixed with water helps thicken the sauce and gives it a smooth consistency.
Oil: A small amount of oil is used to sauté the aromatics and vegetables.
You can also check out my other deep fried evening snack recipes like- sprouts bhel chaat, mix chana chaat, paneer stuffed aloo tikki, khasta sattu kachori bihari style and baked snacks like- cheese flavoured whole wheat sticks, baked masala paneer sticks, baked homemade corn nachos
How to Make Veg Manchurian Without Deep Frying
Step 1: Chop the vegetables
Roughly chop cabbage, beans, onion, beetroot, carrot and capsicum. Transfer them to a hand chopper and pulse until finely chopped but not completely mashed.
You can also use a mixer grinder on pulse mode. Avoid grinding the vegetables into a paste.
Step 2: Prepare the vegetable mixture
Transfer the chopped vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add oats flour and some rice flour.
Add salt and red chilli powder. Mix everything well.
Gradually add the remaining rice flour until the mixture starts binding and can be shaped into balls. Avoid adding all the flour at once.
Step 3: Shape the balls
Take small portions of the vegetable mixture and shape them into balls according to the size of your appe pan moulds.
Prepare all the balls and keep them ready.
Step 4: Cook the Manchurian balls in an appe pan
Preheat an appe pan for 3–4 minutes over low heat. Add 2–3 drops of oil to each mould.
Place the vegetable balls in the moulds and lightly brush their tops with oil.
Cover and cook for 2–3 minutes. Once the bottom turns lightly golden, carefully flip each ball.
Cook the other side until the balls are golden and cooked through. Remove them from the pan and keep aside.
Step 5: Prepare the Manchurian sauce
Heat oil in a pan over low medium heat. Add chopped garlic and green chillies and sauté briefly.
Add chopped onion and cook until lightly golden. Add capsicum and spring onion and stir-fry briefly.
Add soy sauce and ketchup, mix well.
Step 6: Thicken the sauce
Mix rice flour with a little water to make a smooth slurry.
Pour water into the pan and bring it to a boil. Gradually add the rice flour slurry while continuously stirring.
Cook until the sauce becomes slightly thick and smooth.
Step 7: Combine the Manchurian balls and sauce
Add the cooked vegetable balls to the prepared sauce.
Gently toss until all the balls are coated with the sauce. Cook for a few more seconds and turn off the heat.
Your homemade Healthy mix Veg Manchurian is ready to serve!
Expert Tips for Perfect Appe Pan Manchurian
- Chop the vegetables finely but do not turn them into a paste.
- Avoid adding salt too early, as vegetables can release moisture.
- Add rice flour gradually according to the moisture in the vegetables.
- Do not make the balls too large, otherwise they may remain undercooked inside.
- Preheat the appe pan properly before adding the vegetable balls.
- Cook on low to medium heat so the balls cook evenly from inside.
- Add the Manchurian balls to the sauce just before serving to retain their texture.
Serving Suggestions
This Veg Manchurian tastes delicious as a standalone evening snack or starter.
You can also serve it with:
- Steamed basmati rice.
- Brown rice.
- Homemade vegetable fried rice.
- Vegetable noodles.
- Hakka noodles.
For a balanced meal, serve a moderate portion of Manchurian with steamed rice and a side of fresh vegetables.
Kitchen Products and Tools I used
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I make Veg Manchurian without deep frying?
Yes. You can cook the vegetable balls in an appe pan using a small amount of oil instead of deep-frying them.
2. Can I use a mixer grinder instead of a hand chopper?
Yes. Use the pulse mode in short intervals. Avoid grinding the vegetables continuously because they can release excess moisture and turn into a paste.
3. Why are my Manchurian balls breaking?
The vegetable mixture may contain excess moisture or insufficient binding ingredients. If veggies has a lot of moisture you can first squeeze out extra moisture and then add rice flour gradually until the mixture holds its shape.
4. Can I prepare the Manchurian balls in advance?
You can prepare and shape the balls in advance and refrigerate them in an airtight container. Cook them in the appe pan and add them to the sauce just before serving.
5. Is this Veg Manchurian healthier than deep-fried Manchurian?
This version uses less oil for cooking the vegetable balls because it avoids deep frying. It also includes a variety of vegetables, rice and oats flour instead of corn flour which is refined flour and not good for health. However, the overall nutritional value depends on the ingredients, quantities and serving size.
6. Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
The vegetable balls can be made without wheat flour. However, check that your soy sauce is certified gluten-free, as regular soy sauce commonly contains wheat. Use gluten-free rice flour and certified gluten-free oats flour if required.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ¼ of the complete recipe
- Calories: 188 kcal
- Protein: 4.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.2 g
- Fat: 5.2 g
- Dietary Fibre: 5.2 g
*The nutritional values are estimated using a nutrition calculation software and may vary slightly depending on the ingredients, brands, and cooking methods used.
Recipe Card
Healthy Mix Veg Manchurian Without Deep Frying(Appe Pan Recipe)
Ingredients
For Making Vegetable balls:
- 200 gm Cabbage
- 100 gm beans
- 2 small sized onion
- ½ medium sized beetroot
- 1 medium sized carrot
- ½ small green capsicum
- 2-3 tbsp oats flour
- ¼ + 2 tbsp rice flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp red chilli powder.
Manchurian sauce:
- 4-5 finely chopped Garlic
- 3-4 green chillies
- 1 medium sized onion
- ½ small capsicum each yellow and red colour
- 2-3 tbsp onion greens
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp rice flour
- 1 tbsp oil + for cooking in appe pan
- 1 cup + 3 tbsp water
Instructions
Step 1: Chop the vegetables
- Roughly chop cabbage, beans, onion, beetroot, carrot and capsicum. Transfer them to a hand chopper and pulse until finely chopped but not completely mashed.
- You can also use a mixer grinder on pulse mode. Avoid grinding the vegetables into a paste.
Step 2: Prepare the vegetable mixture
- Transfer the chopped vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add oats flour and some rice flour.
- Add salt and red chilli powder. Mix everything well.
- Gradually add the remaining rice flour until the mixture starts binding and can be shaped into balls. Avoid adding all the flour at once.
Step 3: Shape the balls
- Take small portions of the vegetable mixture and shape them into balls according to the size of your appe pan moulds.
- Prepare all the balls and keep them ready.
Step 4: Cook the Manchurian balls in an appe pan
- Preheat an appe pan for 3–4 minutes over low heat. Add 2–3 drops of oil to each mould.
- Place the vegetable balls in the moulds and lightly brush their tops with oil.
- Cover and cook for 2–3 minutes. Once the bottom turns lightly golden, carefully flip each ball.
- Cook the other side until the balls are golden and cooked through. Remove them from the pan and keep aside.
Step 5: Prepare the Manchurian sauce
- Heat oil in a pan over low medium heat. Add chopped garlic and green chillies and sauté briefly.
- Add chopped onion and cook until lightly golden. Add capsicum and spring onion and stir-fry briefly.
- Add soy sauce and ketchup, mix well.
Step 6: Thicken the sauce
- Mix rice flour with a little water to make a smooth slurry.
- Pour water into the pan and bring it to a boil. Gradually add the rice flour slurry while continuously stirring.
- Cook until the sauce becomes slightly thick and smooth.
Step 7: Combine the Manchurian balls and sauce
- Add the cooked vegetable balls to the prepared sauce.
- Gently toss until all the balls are coated with the sauce. Cook for a few more seconds and turn off the heat.
- Your homemade Healthy mix Veg Manchurian is ready to serve!
Video
Notes
- Chop the vegetables finely but do not turn them into a paste.
- Avoid adding salt too early, as vegetables can release moisture.
- Add rice flour gradually according to the moisture in the vegetables.
- Do not make the balls too large, otherwise they may remain undercooked inside.
- Preheat the appe pan properly before adding the vegetable balls.
- Cook on low to medium heat so the balls cook evenly from inside.
- Add the Manchurian balls to the sauce just before serving to retain their texture.
Conclusion
This Healthy Mix Veg Manchurian Without Deep Frying is a simple way to enjoy your favourite Indo-Chinese snack at home with less oil. The appe pan gives the vegetable balls a lovely golden exterior, while the homemade sauce makes them delicious and flavourful.
Try this easy vegetable Manchurian recipe and enjoy a homemade Indo-Chinese treat with your family.
