Air fryer Gobi Manchurian was the second dish experimented in the Air Fryer after the Crispy Baby Potatoes. It certainly makes life easier while wanting to indulge in crispy food, especially in the chilly, rainy weather we are experiencing over past few weeks.
With a little prep work, this comes together beautifully. You can serve it either dry (as an appetiser) or as my kids love it, in a gravy form. I have used the following veggies to make it more nutritious, but we can use a mix of other veggies too based on availability.
Monsoon / rainy days provides the perfect backdrop to munch on these guilt free and this time the No-fry Gobi Manchurian won hands down.

Let's make Air Fryer Gobi Manchurian
Prep time - 20 mins; Bake time - 15 mins, Cook time - 15 mins.
Serves- 4
Other Manchurian / Indo Chinese dishes on the blog include:

- Veg Manchow Soup
- Veg Fried Rice with Gobi Manchurian gravy
- Baked Gobi Manchurian
- Hakka Noodles with Manchurian
- Idli Manchurian

What you need to make No-Fry Gobi Manchurian - No Cornflour, No Maida, No Deep fry version
For the manchurian:
- 1 cup Cabbage (minced fine)
- 1 tablespoon Carrots( minced fine)
- 1 Onion (minced fine)
- ¼ Bell Pepper(Minced fine)
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 3 tablespoon Sorghum flour (Jowari atta)
- 1 teaspoon Rice flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 3 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon pepper powder
For the sauce:
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 spring onion (greens and whites separated)
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 teaspoon Rice flour
- ½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 green chilli (minced fine)
- 1 teaspoon Homemade spicy schezwan sauce

How to make the Manchurian:
In a large bowl, mix all the minced veggies, salt and keep aside. After 10 mins, squeeze out all the water. Add the flours, spices and ginger garlic paste. Mix lightly and make into roundels (Manchurian). Refrigerate it for 20 mins till the sauce is made
To make the sauce:
In a pan, heat the oil. Saute the onions and ginger garlic paste, add the sliced spring onions greens and whites, now add the green chillies, spicy homemade schezwan sauce, tomato ketchup and give it good stir. Add 1 cup of pre-boiled and cooled water and let it come to a simmer. Mix the rice flour in 2 teaspoon of water, make a slurry and add to the sauce. Adjust salt and spice. Let it thicken lightly.
To air fry the manchurian:
While the sauce is being Made, preheat air fryer to 180C. Line the air fryer and generously grease the plate and the manchurian balls. Air fry them for 15 mins, tossing them from time to time , till they are crispy golden brown.

To assemble the dish:
To a simmering sauce, add the air fried manchurian. Let it soak the sauce and flavours. Serve hot with Fried rice / Hakka Noodles on the side.

Air fryer Gobi Manchurian
Equipment
- Kadai / Wok
- Air fryer
- Knife
- Grater
- Food processor
Ingredients
FOR THE MANCHURIAN SAUCE / GRAVY
- 1 onion sliced
- 1 spring onion greens and whites separated
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 teaspoon Rice flour
- ½ teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 green chilli minced fine
- 1 teaspoon Homemade spicy schezwan sauce
TO MAKE THE MANCHURIAN
- 1 cup Cabbage finely minced
- 1 tablespoon Carrot finely minced
- 1 onion finely minced
- ¼ Bell Pepper finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 teaspoon Rice flour
- 3 tablespoon Sorghum Flour Jowar Atta
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoon Oil
- 1 tsp Black Pepper powder
Instructions
How to make the Manchurian:
- In a large bowl, mix all the minced veggies, salt and keep aside. After 10 mins, squeeze out all the water. Add the flours, spices and ginger garlic paste. Mix lightly and make into roundels (Manchurian). Refrigerate it for 20 mins till the sauce is made
To make the sauce:
- In a pan, heat the oil. Saute the onions and ginger garlic paste, add the sliced spring onions greens and whites, now add the green chillies, spicy homemade schezwan sauce, tomato ketchup and give it good stir. Add 1 cup of pre-boiled and cooled water and let it come to a simmer. Mix the rice flour in 2 teaspoon of water, make a slurry and add to the sauce. Adjust salt and spice. Let it thicken lightly.
To air fry the manchurian:
- While the sauce is being Made, preheat air fryer to 180C. Line the air fryer and generously grease the plate and the manchurian balls. Air fry them for 15 mins, tossing them from time to time , till they are crispy golden brown.
To assemble the dish:
- To a simmering sauce, add the air fried manchurian. Let it soak the sauce and flavours. Serve hot with Fried rice / Hakka Noodles on the side.






Shobha Keshwani says
Delicious Gobhi Manchurian to be relished on a rainy day. It is all the more enjoyable as it is a non fried version. The gravy loks so good.
Kalyani says
Thanks Shobha ji. we also enjoyed the air fryer version which makes it so enjoyable
Kalyani says
thanks shobha ji. we love to snack on these as it is, too!
Mayuri Patel says
I like how you've replaced cornflour and maida with jowar flour and rice flour. It just shows that we can use practically any flour for binding purpose. Such an inviting dish of air fryer gobi Manchurian.
Kalyani says
absolutely, Mayuri. When I heard of Jowar being a GF flour to make pakodas, I was so keen to try it in almost everything incl these manchurian..
Preeti Shridhar says
Perfect food for a rainy day. I love the way you have replaced corn flour and all purpose flour with jowar and rice flour. And to top it, you have air fried them . That makes the dish absolutely guilt free. Even I have bought one recently, so your recipe now urges me to try manchurian ball in air fryer. Do they get a nice golden color like the fried ones?
Kalyani says
Thanks Preethi. yes they do turn golden brown, i will include a video recipe for this shortly. Good luck with the new airfryer.
The Girl Next Door says
The Manchurian looks so perfectly made and absolutely delicious! I love how you have used jowar atta here in place of cornflour and air-fried these balls. That's a brilliant idea to make them guilt-free.
Kalyani says
Thank you Priya. we love it too
Renu says
Interesting use of Jowar atta and rice flour instead of maida or whole wheat flour in manchurian. Liked the idea, healthy and tasty.
Kalyani says
thanks Renu
Seema Sriram says
Interesting change of flours for the binding and the airfried crispiness. this makes the recipe less guilty and so much more likable. i live the colour of the sauce and the combo with the fried rice.
Kalyani says
thanks Seema. the alternative flours surprised me pleasantly, too!
Jayashree T.Rao says
Gobi manchurian is all time favourite at home.This is a good, guilt free version of the popular gobi manchurian. Good that you have used jowar flour and rice flour here instead of the usual ones.
Kalyani says
guilt free indeed, Jayashree 🙂 thanks..
Poonam Bachhav says
Using jowar and rice flour to bind the veggies of manchurisn is brilliant! Air fried manchurian in a lip smacking sauce sounds oh so healthy and flavorful.
Kalyani says
Thanks Poonam. its truly lipsmacking even if i say so myself 🙂
Preethicuisine says
Air fryer Manchurian looks absolutely lip smacking . Adding Howard flour and rice flour for binding is a fabulous idea. Perfect guilt free monsoon treat as it is not deep fried.
Kalyani says
yes, guilt free it is 🙂
Preethicuisine says
Very tempting and Delish.
Kalyani says
thanks preethi!
Swati says
The show stopper for your veg. manchurian is the jowar flour.. like everyone I am too impressed how nicely you have replaced all purpose flour with jowar flour.. and then air fired these. who says we can't have good food with health friendly choice. Manchurian looks absolutely yumm and inviting.
Kalyani says
thanks for your kind words, Swaty 🙂
Meera Girdhar says
I love Manchurians but always feel guilty while preparing this as we use maida and lots of oil while preparing this.thanks Kalyani for sharing such a healthy recipe for Manchurian.
Kalyani says
welcome, Meera. Glad you liked it 🙂
Anu Kollon says
Perfect dish for rainy season. These air fried gobi manchurian can be had guilt fry. I am adding this to my must-try list.
Kalyani says
Thanks Anu. Hope you try it soon
Narmadha says
This is such a delicious treat and I can enjoy this guilt free. Looks absolutely scrumptious and wish you pass me the entire plate
Kalyani says
glad to share this manchurian with you, Narmadha
Sasmita Sahoo says
the air fried gobi manchurian here look absolutely yum and inviting kalyani.. Awesome use of jawar here instead of APF !!
Kalyani says
thank you, sasmita
Priya vj says
Seeing such wonderful recipes using air fryer i am now really tempted to buy one . This Manchurian is sure to give a run to the ones we get at restaurants. Pass me the bowl of manchurian and fried rice plss 🙂
Kalyani says
cmon over! we shall have both again, aapke naam pe :p