Bread Appetizer Ideas

Dry Bread Manchurian is a unique and flavorful twist on the classic Indo-Chinese Manchurian dish, offering an excellent way to transform leftover or day-old bread into a crispy, tangy, and satisfying snack. This fusion recipe captures the bold, street-style essence of traditional Manchurian without the complexity of preparing vegetable or meat-based versions. It is especially popular among those looking for a quick fix with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor. The base of the dish is formed by combining crumbled bread slices with grated vegetables like cabbage and carrot, and binding them with a touch of corn flour and spices. These are then shaped into small round balls and deep-fried until golden brown and crisp on the outside. What sets this dish apart is the zesty sauce that coats each ball, made using familiar Indo-Chinese staples such as soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chili sauce, and vinegar, creating a perfectly balanced sweet, sour, and spicy flavor profile.\n\n Dry Bread Manchurian is perfect as an appetizer, party starter, or a fun evening snack with tea. It is also a great way to reduce food waste and repurpose pantry staples. The best part? It requires no exotic ingredients and can be customized easily to suit your spice tolerance or dietary preferences. For those avoiding deep-frying, the balls can also be baked or air-fried for a lighter alternative. Serve it hot, garnished with spring onions, and watch it disappear quickly. Whether you’re hosting guests or simply looking to spice up your daily snack routine, this simple recipe delivers on both taste and texture. It brings together the comfort of Indian ingredients and the excitement of Chinese flavors—all with humble bread as the star ingredient.

Bread Manchurian

Print Recipe

By Malini Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Cooking Time: 15

Ingredients

• Manchurian Balls:
• 1. 4 slice bread
• 2. 1/2 cup Carrot finely chopped
• 3. 1 cup Cabbage finely chopped
• 4. 1 tsp Ginger paste
• 5. 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder
• 6. 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
• 7. 1/2 cup Corn floor
• 8. 1/2 tsp salt
• 9. Oil for frying
• Manchurian Sauce:
• 1. 1 inch ginger finely chopped
• 2. 5 spring Onion Greens finely chopped (Separate upper green and lower white part)
• 3. 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 4. 1 tsp corn flour
• 5. 1 tsp pepper
• 6. 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 7. 1/2 Green Bell Pepper sliced finely
• 8. 1/2 cup water
• 9. Salt to taste

Instructions

1

For Manchurian balls

2

Powder the bread in a blender without adding any water

3

Add chopped Carrot, Cabbage and rest of the ingredients for the manchurian balls in a bowl along with the powdered bread

4

Add 2 tsp of water and make a dough.

5

Prepare round sized small balls and deep fry in an oil pan till golden brown and keep it aside.

6

For Sauce.

7

Heat a pan add 2 tbsp of oil.

8

When the oil is hot add the finely chopped ginger and the white part of the onion greens. Cook for 2 mins in medium heat

9

Add the bell pepper, salt and saute it for another 2 mins.

10

Add soy sauce and vinegar

11

Separately, corn flour in a cup of water and make a liquid paste.

12

Add this paste to the mixture and cook for 2 mins till sauce thickens.

13

Now add the Manchurian balls to the sauce and mix it nicely till the sauce coats all the balls

14

Add the green part of the Onion greens and serve it in a ball.

Notes

"Adjust gravy consistency by varying corn‑flour slurry.", "Add red food colour for a restaurant‑style bright hue.", "Ensure oil is hot when frying balls to prevent excessive absorption.", "Alternatively, pan‑fry, shallow‑fry, bake at 180 °C for ~30 min, or use an appe pan.", "Serve immediately—balls may soften if soaked too long.