[2][3] Manchurian is the result of the adaptation of Chinese cooking and seasoning techniques, specifically aimed to suit Indian tastes.

[4] It is said to have been invented in 1975 by Nelson Wang, a cook at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai, when a customer asked him to create a new dish, rather than what was on the menu.

[5] Wang described the invention process as starting from the basic ingredients of an Indian dish, namely chopped garlic, ginger, and green chilis, but next, instead of adding garam masala, he put in soy sauce, followed by cornstarch and the chicken itself.

Other vegetarian variants include mushroom, baby corn, and veggie ball as the main ingredient.

Some recipes call for use of monosodium glutamate (MSG) to increase the taste profile, though there are those who avoid it due to the common misconception that it causes headaches.