Instant Pot Vegetable Manchurian

Vegetable Manchurian is a popular Indo-Chinese dish in which pillowy veggie balls are simmered in a mouthwatering spicy and tangy gravy sauce made with ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. Here is my quick and easy version using the best store-bought veggie meatballs. Served over piping hot fried rice or noodles makes a lip-smacking meal for the family.

Indian Chinese is basically an adaptation of Chinese spices and cooking techniques to Indian tastes. I remember the "Indochinese" food sold on street carts while I was growing up in India. Dishes like Chop-suey, Schezwan, and Manchurian became immensely popular with everyone as it was tasty, quick, and affordable.

Growing up in a health-conscious family, although I loved Indochinese foods I knew that some of them were loaded with soy sauce and many were deep-fried. I then started to adopt many of those recipes and gave them a healthier twist so we can enjoy the same taste at home. 

Home-made fried rice, Hakka noodles, and no-fry cauliflower Manchurian are on repeat in my kitchen, especially for quick weeknight meals. What I had never thought, of was making veg Manchurian at home. Just the thought of frying those veggie balls kept me away from making this dish.

Then, Thanks to a dear friend, I started using the IKEA veggie balls! They are sold frozen and come in handy for many recipes like malai kofta and kadhi pakoras. Since then I have also tried and loved the veggie balls sold in the frozen aisle at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

How to Make Vegetable Manchurian

Here are the step-by-step instructions with photos. For the full recipe and printable recipe please scroll down to the recipe card below!

• Turn the Instant Pot to saute(more) mode and heat oil. Add onion, ginger, and garlic. Sauté for a minute. Add red chili flakes, frozen veggie balls, and broth. Give a quick stir (photos 1 - 4)
• Close Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Pressure Cook for 4 minutes followed by Quick Release.

• Open the lid and set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Add soy sauce, chili vinegar, and sugar. Mix cornstarch with water and stir it in the gravy. Mix well and cook until the sauce comes to a gentle boil. Add more red chili flakes for a spicier taste. Garnish with cilantro and scallions. (photos 5 - 8)

Serving

Enjoy vegetable Manchurian hot over steamed rice, fried rice or noodles! Vegetable Manchurian tastes best fresh but can also be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days.

Tips

MOC Pro Tips for the best Veggie Manchurian:

• Make sure to add frozen meatballs as thawed meatballs will fall apart during pressure cooking. If you have meatballs that are already thawed, then simply pressure cook the sauce and then stir in the meatballs and cook on saute mode for 5 mins.
• I like to use the low sodium Better than Bouillon Vegetable Broth in this recipe. Vegetable broth can be substituted with 2 cups of water and 1.5 teaspoons of salt
• In addition to the IKEA Veggie balls, I have also tried this recipe with Trader Joe's veggie balls. Some of my readers also have enjoyed this dish with frozen chicken meatballs
• If you double the recipe the same pressure cook time still remains the same
• For gluten-free Manchurian, use Tamari instead of soy sauce

More Easy Dinner Recipes

• Gobi Manchurian
• Chilli Chicken
• Kimchi Fried Rice
• Vegetarian Pad Thai
• Teriyaki Chicken
• Ramen Noodles
• Pav Bhaji

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Recipe

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