Baby Corn Manchurian | Crispy Baby Corn Manchurian Dry (2023)

Learn how to make Baby Corn Manchurian recipe with detailed step by step pictures. Easy Baby Corn Manchurian Dry recipe, restaurant style Babycorn Manchurian recipe, homemade crispy baby corn Manchurian recipe – best Indo-Chinese recipe to pair with fried rice/noodles or to be served as a starter/appetizer.

Baby Corn Manchurian is a popular Indo-Chinese starter/appetizer recipe that is quite common in any restaurant across the country. Tender baby corn is coated in corn flour & all purpose flour along with the spices, deep-fried until golden brown and is then tossed in a very flavorful Manchurian sauce. This is a dry Manchurian recipe that is best served as a starter or side dish, but it can also be made as Manchurian gravy. Read more about it in the substitutions & variations section below.

Key Ingredients

Baby Corn is the main ingredient and it is important to choose tender ones for faster cooking and better taste.

Corn Flour & All-Purpose Flour are used to coat the baby corn. The former makes it crispy & crunchy while the latter adds to the body.

Spices like Black Pepper Powder, Red Chilli Powder are used to flavor the crispy fried baby corn.

Cubed Bell Peppers (Green or Colored) and Cubed Onions are used in the Manchurian sauce and it is essential to cut both these vegetables into uniform sized squares for restaurant style dish.

Lots of Finely Chopped Garlic is used in the Manchurian sauce and this recipe is a garlic lover’s delight!

Condiments like Dark Soy Sauce, Apple Cider Vinegar (Rice Vinegar), Vegan Oyster Sauce, Green Chilli Sauce, Tomato Ketchup are used to make the Manchurian sauce.

For full list of ingredients and exact measurements, please check the recipe below.

Tips & Important Notes for Making BabyCorn Manchurian Dry

• Baby Corn Manchurian is a beginner-friendly recipe that is simple and easy to make at home. Follow these tips and notes below to make it better than your favorite restaurant takeaway 🙂
• Coating the baby corn with flours is an important step. We don’t want to make a batter, a runny one at that. We want the baby corn to be thoroughly coated in flours, so drizzle water around just to get the flours to stick. If we add a lot of water, fried baby corn turns soggy quite soon.
• While it is optional to pre-cook baby corn, if you are stuck with large or hard pieces over the slender ones, I would recommend pre-cooking them in hot water for 10 mins. This helps tenderizing the baby corn that is not so tender.
• Oil temperature is important in making golden fries that also stay crispy for quite a while, especially when tossed in the Manchurian sauce. Once the oil is hot, set the flame on medium and fry the baby corn in small batches until golden. Too low a flame, baby corn turns soggy by absorbing a lot of oil and too high a flame, it changes color quickly but doesn’t retain crispness.
• Manchurian sauce is made with a mixture of few condiments and we don’t want to add extra water for the dry version. This helps keep the fried baby corn crispy.
• Onions & capsicum used in the Manchurian sauce should be crunchy and not overcooked for perfect texture.
• Using a heavy pan and cooking the sauce over medium heat yields best tasting Manchurian dry that is similar to one served in restaurants.

Substitutions & Variations

• Baby Corn can be replaced with cauliflower florets, mushrooms, broccoli florets, mixed vegetables, hard boiled eggs or even meat.
• Vegan Oyster Sauce is optional, but it enhances the flavor of the Manchurian and makes it rich.
• To make Low Calorie Manchurian, use a preheated oven or airfryer to make crispy fried baby corn. Refer to this Low Calorie Mushroom Manchurian for the exact recipe.
• To make Baby Corn Manchurian Gravy, as the last step add a slurry made from 1tbsp corn flour and ¼ cup water. This makes the Manchurian gravy thick and luscious, to be served as a side dish for fried rice or noodles.

Serving Suggestions

Babycorn Manchurian is best served hot as an appetizer or starter, it can also be served a side with fried rice or noodles. It is best to consume the Manchurian within a few hours or at least on the same day. It loses its crispness in sometime when left at room temperature, but is still delicious.

Similar Recipes

Baby Corn Manchurian Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

In a mixing bowl add diagonally cut baby corn slices, 2 tablespoon corn flour, 1.5 tablespoon all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, salt as needed.

Toss around until the flours are coated well on the baby corn slices.

Sprinkle water little by little and continue tossing around.

When the dry mixture is tightly stuck on the baby corn slices, don’t add anymore water. It should not look wet or runny, but at the same time there should be no dry patches either.

Meanwhile heat oil for deep frying. As the oil gets hot, set the flame on medium. Fry the prepared baby corn in small batches without overcrowding the pan.

When they are golden brown & crispy, remove from oil.

Repeat this with rest of the prepared baby corn. Drain on kitchen tissue to remove excess oil.

In a heavy pan heat 2 teaspoon oil. Add 6-8 garlic cloves finely chopped, fry for a few seconds.

Add 1 small onion cubed and 1 small capsicum cubed.

Fry at medium flame for 3-4 mins. And then add ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce, ½ tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup, ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon green chilli sauce.

Cook the sauces for 2-3 mins on medium flame. Add salt as needed. I added ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder for flavor & color (can be skipped)

When the sauce is thick, add the golden fried baby corn.

Toss around quickly until the baby corn is well coated in the Manchurian sauce. Remove from heat. Garnish with 1-2 tablespoon finely chopped spring onions or coriander leaves.

Serve hot as starter/appetizer. It can also be served as a side dish for fried rice or noodles.

Recipe Notes

• Adjust spices as per preference.
• To make Manchurian gravy, prepare slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon corn flour with ¼ cup water and add it to the sauces before adding the golden fried baby corn.
• It is not necessary to deep fry baby corn. It can also be shallow fried, grilled in an pre-heated oven or made in an air fryer.

I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂

📖 Recipe