By Aditi Sarswat
July 7, 2026
Rainy evenings often raise the craving for something warm, spicy, and enjoyable. This homemade chicken Manchurian has a restaurant-style taste that uses less oil, making it a comforting monsoon snack or appetiser that you can pair perfectly with a bowl of hot soup.
For the Chicken 500 g boneless chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces 3 tbsp cornflour 2 tbsp whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour) 1 egg 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste ½ tsp black pepper powder Salt to taste 2 tbsp oil (for shallow frying or air frying)
For the Manchurian Sauce 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger 2 green chillies, finely chopped ½ cup chopped spring onions 1 small onion, chopped ½ small capsicum, chopped 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp tomato ketchup 1 tbsp chilli sauce 1 tsp vinegar 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water ½ cup vegetable or chicken stock Fresh spring onion greens for garnish
In a bowl, mix chicken with some cornflour, wheat flour, egg, ginger-garlic paste, pepper, and salt. Keep it at rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Shallow-fry or air-fry the coated chicken until it turns golden and is cooked through to reduce excess oil.
In a pan, heat some sesame oil and sauté garlic, ginger, chillies, onions, and capsicum until they turn aromatic and the raw smell fades away.
Now, pour in the soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chilli sauce, vinegar, and stock. Mix everything nicely and let it simmer for a minute or two.
To this, now add the cornflour slurry and cook until the sauce begins to turn glossy and gets a coating texture, without turning too thick.
Add the cooked chicken and toss everything so that every piece gets coated evenly. Lastly, add some spring onion greens and serve hot with tomato sauce or mint chutney.