If you are skeptical about making Paneer Manchurian in an air fryer, believe me, you are not alone! I was skeptical as well! My husband was even more cynical about the concept than I was. However, I wanted to try it out. So I gave it a shot … and oh my oh my! The result was absolutely bomb.
This recipe involves coating paneer cubes in a thick batter with basic spices, air frying it, and then dousing it in Manchurian sauce. This is my tried and true Manchurian sauce that I developed for my original Manchurian recipe, Gobi Manchurian. If you haven’t tried that recipe yet, you must! Check it out here.
I can’t describe in words how crispy yet fluffy the paneer was. It was absolutely delicious and the hubs and I both loved it. The best part is that you get all the Indo-Chinese feels with absolutely no guilt! Thank you air fryer! 😍
Paneer Manchurian (Air Fried)
Cuisine: Indo-Chinese4
servings10
minutes15
minutes325
kcalCrispy, air fried paneer tossed in a spicy, Indo-Chinese sauce
Ingredients
1/2 block paneer (200 g – chopped into medium sized cubes)
- Batter
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp red chili powder
A pinch of red food coloring (optional)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1/2 – 1 cup of water
- Sauce
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves of garlic (minced/crushed)
1 inch ginger (grated)
2 green chills (minced)
1 small red onion (chopped into medium squares)
2 scallions/spring onions (sliced into thin circles and separated into white and green parts)
1/2 small green pepper/ capsicum (chopped into medium squares)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp red chili sauce
1/4 tsp white rice vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water
Salt to taste
Instructions
- If your paneer is frozen, let it thaw. Chop into medium sized cubes. Keep aside.
- Mix the Batter
- Add 2 tbsp white flour, 2 tbsp cup corn starch, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, a pinch of red food coloring (optional), 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, and salt (to taste) to a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Slowly add in about 1/2 – 1 cup of water till you get a smooth, flowing batter. (Note: It should be thick and not watery.)
- Coat a paneer cube with a thin, even coating of batter. (Note: If the batter doesn’t stick to or coat the paneer properly, add a bit more white flour and cornstarch using a 1:1 ratio.)
- Air Fry the Paneer
- Spray a bit of cooking spray in the air fryer tray.
- Place coated paneer cubes in air fryer tray. Add as many paneer cubes as you can in the tray without having them touch each other.
- Brush a little oil on top of each paneer cube.
- Pre-heat air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes.
- Place the air fryer tray in the air fryer. Let paneer cook for 10 minutes. Halfway through, at the 5 minute mark, flip the paneer. After 5 more minutes, take the paneer out and keep aside.
- Make the Sauce
- To make the sauce, first heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok at a medium flame.
- Add 2 cloves garlic (minced/crushed), 1 inch ginger (grated) and 2 green chilis (minced) and sauté.
- Add 1 small red onion (chopped into medium squares) and the white part of 2 scallions/spring onions (thinly sliced into circles). Sauté till translucent.
- Then, add 1/2 green pepper/ capsicum (chopped into medium squares) and sauté. Cook covered for a few minutes.
- Once the green pepper is cooked, add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp red chili sauce, and 1/4 tsp vinegar. Mix well and let simmer for a few minutes.
- Once the sauce starts to bubble, add a mixture of 1 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water. (Note: This is the “secret” ingredient to a thick sauce.)
- If you want wet Paneer Manchurian, add another 1/2 cup of water. If you prefer it dry, skip this step and keep going.
- Add 1/4 tsp ground black pepper and salt to taste. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.
- Once the sauce starts to bubble, turn off the flame.
- Off flame, add the air fried paneer to the sauce. Mix and garnish with the green part of 2 scallions/spring onions (thinly sliced into circles). Enjoy! 🙂
Notes
- A standard block of paneer is 400 g. This recipe is per half a block of paneer (200 g).
- I would suggest to prep your ingredients for the sauce ahead of time so that as soon as you are done air frying the paneer, you can start the sauce. You don’t want to let the paneer sit for too long, or it might lose its crispiness.
- Instead of air frying, you could deep fry the paneer or bake it. I would not suggest pan frying it as the coating is too thick.
- It is very important to add the paneer to the sauce off flame to prevent the manchurian from becoming mushy.
- If you don’t have red chili sauce, you could use siracha sauce or tomato sauce/ ketchup.
- I prefer to crush my garlic via a mortar and pestle. You could finely mince by hand or use a pre-made garlic paste.
- I prefer to grate my ginger. Alternatively, you could use a pre-made ginger paste.
- I prefer to mince my green chilis in a grinder. However, you can finely mince them by hand or even just slit them.
- There are many versions of this recipe. This is my tried and true version that I came up with. I hope you love it!
- Vegan Option: Substitute paneer with extra firm tofu. Make sure you drain it and press it first.
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you all try this recipe out! I would love to see your own adventures in cooking! Please take a pic and share them with me on Instagram/Facebook @chaitrascreations.
