Gobi Manchurian Recipe
Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indian-Chinese appetizer made with batter-coated, crispy fried cauliflower tossed in a spicy, slightly sweet, umami sauce. The sauce is prepared with spring onions, capsicum, green chillies, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and tomato ketchup. The dry version is most commonly served in Chinese restaurants as a starter or snack. While it can also be made with gravy, the dry version is more widely prepared and ordered.
About This Gobi Manchurian Recipe
In Hindi, gobi means cauliflower. Manchurian refers to the Indo-Chinese style sauce made by sautéing spring onions, capsicum, green chillies, ginger, and garlic, then seasoning it with soy sauce, tomato ketchup, and chilli sauce.
In simple terms, Gobi Manchurian recipe is made by coating cauliflower florets in a lightly seasoned all-purpose flour batter, frying them until crisp, and then tossing them in this flavorful sauce.
Table of Contents
The addition of tomato ketchup gives the sauce mild sweetness, which makes it different from Chilli Gobi or Chilli Paneer, where the heat is sharper and green chillies are used more generously.
This Gobi Manchurian recipe focuses on the dry version, which is usually served as an appetizer or starter snack. It is the most popular way Gobi Manchurian is eaten in restaurants.
The gravy version is less common, but if you want to make it, you can add some water or vegetable stock along with a little cornstarch slurry to the same sauce to create a thick gravy.
I keep my Gobi Manchurian dry recipe moderately spiced and not overly hot like many street-style versions. You can easily adjust the heat by increasing the green chillies, ginger, and garlic to suit your taste.
The cauliflower florets can be deep fried or pan fried after dipping them in the batter. I usually pan-fry to reduce oil, though deep frying gives a crispier texture. For extra crispiness, cut the florets into smaller pieces before frying.
Restaurant-style Gobi Manchurian often has a bright red color due to added food color. At home, you can get a natural orange-red shade by using Kashmiri red chilli powder or deghi mirch. These also add mild heat and a gentle smoky note.
I do not add MSG or ajinomoto in my Indo-Chinese recipes. If you like the street-style taste, you can add a small pinch.
Use a good-quality naturally fermented soy sauce, as it makes a noticeable difference in flavor. Tamari or liquid aminos also work well.
Serve Gobi Manchurian hot with Schezwan Sauce, chilli garlic sauce, or tomato ketchup. It also works well as a filling for wraps made with Roti, Naan or Paratha along with shredded vegetables and your choice of sauce or spread.
More Manchurian Recipes To Try
How to Make Gobi Manchurian
Rinse & Blanch Cauliflower
1. Firstly chop or break 1 small or medium sized cauliflower (gobi) into medium or small florets.
Rinse the cauliflower florets a few times thoroughly in water. Drain all the water and set aside.
2. Bring salted water to a boil using 3 cups water and ½ teaspoon salt. Add the rinsed cauliflower florets to the boiling water.
Cover and blanch the cauliflower florets for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
Tip: Make sure there is no water or moisture on the florets before battering and frying them. After draining, spread the florets on a tray or plate and let them air-dry for a few minutes.
Note: Blanching is optional. You can skip this step if the cauliflower is fresh and free from insects or worms.
Make Batter
3. To make the batter add the following ingredients in a mixing bowl:
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons of cornflour or cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or 1 teaspoon minced ginger-garlic
- ¼ teaspoon of black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon of kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
- salt to taste
4. Add 1 cup of water to the bowl and whisk to make a smooth lump-free batter with a medium flowing consistency.
5. Add the cauliflower florets to the batter. Make sure the florets are completely dry and free from any moisture before coating them.
6. Mix well so the batter coats each cauliflower floret evenly.
Pan Fry Cauliflower Florets
7. Fry the batter-coated cauliflower florets in hot oil. I added 6 tablespoons of oil while pan-frying. Alternatively, you can deep or shallow fry the florets to make them crispier.
I fried mine in batches of three because I used a small pan but feel free to fry them all at once if you have a larger pan. Patience is key when it comes to frying the florets as it can take some time.
Tip: Make sure that there is some space between each floret when frying to ensure that they cook evenly and don’t stick together.
8. Once one side is cooked and crisp, flip over the floret and pan fry the uncooked side. Flip a few more times until the florets are evenly fried and golden in color.
9. Drain the excess oil from the fried cauliflower florets on paper towels. Similarly fry the remaining batter coated florets in batches.
Make Gobi Manchurian
10. After pan-frying the cauliflower, you will have some oil left in the same pan. If your ginger, garlic, and green chillies are already prepped, lower the heat and add them straight to the pan.
If not, switch off the heat, chop them, then return the pan to low to medium heat and continue.
Add 3 teaspoons of finely chopped ginger, 3 teaspoons of finely chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon of finely chopped green chilies.
Mix and sauté for a few seconds.
11. Next add ¾ cup of chopped spring onion whites (scallion whites) and ½ cup of finely chopped capsicum (green bell pepper).
Increase the heat slightly and stir fry until the capsicum is half cooked.
Tip: If you are using celery, then add at this step. You can add about 1 tablespoon of finely chopped celery.
12. When the onions soften, add 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup and 1 teaspoon spicy chilli sauce (green or red) or red chilli paste. Mix well.
Tip: Use a spicy chilli sauce, not a sweet one. You can use red chilli sauce, green chilli sauce, or sriracha.
Note: Adjust the quantity of chilli sauce or chilli paste to suit your spice preference.
13. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and ¼ to ½ teaspoons of black pepper powder, ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar (optional) and salt according to taste.
Mix again. Feel free to add less or more of the seasonings depending on your preference.
14. Add the pan-fried cauliflower florets.
15. Mix and toss them quickly until the sauce and cauliflower florets are well combined. The manchurian sauce must coat the fried gobi evenly.
Add 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar or ½ teaspoon of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar then stir well.
Switch off the heat. Mix in chopped spring onions greens or garnish when serving.
16. Serve Gobi Manchurian hot. Garnish with some spring onion greens while serving.
Serving & Storage
Serve Gobi Manchurian as an appetizer or snack. It also goes well as a side dish with steamed rice, Veg Fried Rice, Schezwan Fried Rice, Mushroom Noodles or Veg Noodles.
You can pair it with Schezwan Sauce, Chilli Garlic Chutney, Momos Chutney, or tomato ketchup on the side.
Gobi Manchurian tastes best when eaten fresh. If needed, refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 day.
Reheat in a pan or air fryer to bring back some crispiness. Avoid reheating in the microwave, as the cauliflower turns chewy and dense.
Dassana’s Recipe Tips
- Dry the cauliflower well: After washing or blanching, make sure the florets are completely dry before dipping them in batter. Any moisture on the cauliflower will thin the batter and reduce crispiness.
- Toss quickly on high heat: Once the fried cauliflower is added to the sauce, toss it quickly on high heat. This helps coat the florets evenly without making them soggy and keeps the Manchurian dry and crisp.
- Frying: After dipping the cauliflower in batter, you can pan fry, shallow fry, or deep fry. Pan frying uses less oil, while deep frying gives the crispiest texture.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce is essential for umami flavor in the gobi manchurian recipe. Use a good-quality naturally fermented soy sauce. You can also use tamari or Bragg liquid aminos.
- Oil temperature: The oil must be moderately hot for crisp florets. If the oil is not hot enough, the cauliflower will absorb oil and turn soggy. Test by frying one battered floret. It should sizzle and turn golden.
- Batter consistency: The batter should be smooth, flowing and having a medium consistency. A very thick batter makes the coating doughy, while a very thin batter gives an uneven coating that does not crisp properly.
- Street style flavor: I do not use MSG or ajinomoto. If you prefer street-style taste, add a small pinch.
Cooking Queries
Can I bake the florets instead of frying them?
Yes, but they will not be as crispy. Blanch the cauliflower, toss with a dry mix of flour and spices, arrange on a lined tray, spray lightly with oil, and bake at 200°C (390°F) for 10 to 12 minutes or until done.
What can I do with leftover batter?
Use it to coat potatoes, mushrooms, french beans, broccoli, or paneer and fry until crisp.
What can you eat Gobi Manchurian with?
Serve as a snack or side dish with steamed rice, fried rice, or stir fried noodles.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Gobi Manchurian Recipe
Ingredients
For Frying Cauliflower
- 1 cauliflower – small to medium head
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch (known as cornflour in India)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder (ground black pepper)
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder or deghi mirch (can add about 1 teaspoon to get a good color, but this will also increase the heat a bit)
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or 1 teaspoon minced ginger-garlic
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce – naturally brewed
- 1 cup water or add as required
- 5 to 6 tablespoons oil – or add as needed, for pan frying
More Ingredients
- 3 teaspoons or 1.5 inches ginger – finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons or 8 to 10 medium-sized cloves of garlic – finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon or 2 green chillies – finely chopped
- ¾ cup spring onion whites – chopped (scallion whites), reserve the greens for garnish
- ½ cup capsicum – finely chopped (green bell pepper)
- 1 tablespoon celery – finely chopped, optional
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or add as per your taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup or add as required
- 1 teaspoon red chilli sauce or green chilli sauce or red chilli paste, spicy and not sweet
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or ½ teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper powder (ground black pepper)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar – optional
- salt as required
- 2 to 3 tablespoons spring onions greens – finely chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Preparing Cauliflower Florets
- Chop or break the cauliflower into small to medium florets.
- Rinse the florets well and drain.
- Bring 3 cups water with ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Switch off the heat and add the cauliflower florets.
- Blanch for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and spread the florets on a tray or plate to air-dry for a few minutes.
Pan Frying Cauliflower Florets
- In a bowl, mix all-purpose flour, cornstarch, soy sauce, black pepper, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri red chilli powder, and salt.
- Add water and whisk to make a smooth, medium-consistency batter.
- Add the cauliflower florets and mix until evenly coated.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Gently place the batter-coated florets in the pan and pan-fry in batches.
- When one side turns crisp, flip the cauliflower florets and pan-fry the other sides.
- Turn the florets as needed and fry until crisp and golden on all sides.
- Drain on kitchen paper towels. Fry all the florets the same way.
Making Gobi Manchurian
- In the same pan, use the remaining oil and heat it over low to medium-low heat. Add finely chopped ginger, garlic, and green chillies. Sauté briefly until aromatic.
- Add chopped spring onion whites, capsicum, and celery (if using). Increase the heat slightly and stir-fry until the capsicum is half-cooked.
- Add soy sauce, tomato ketchup, spicy chilli sauce, black pepper, sugar, and salt. Mix well.
- Add the pan-fried cauliflower florets and toss until evenly coated with the sauce.
- Add rice vinegar, mix well, and switch off the heat. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Garnish with spring onion greens.
- Serve Gobi Manchurian hot as a snack or as a side dish with veg fried rice, mushroom fried rice, hakka noodles or veg noodles.
Video
Dassana’s Notes
- Capsicum (Bell Pepper): You can skip the capsicum in the recipe. You can even use red or yellow bell peppers.
- Spring Onions: Instead of spring onions, you can use white onions or red onions or shallots.
- Green Chillies: A serrano pepper or anaheim pepper can be substituted for green chillies. You can even substitute dry red chillies instead of green chillies. Just crush them and use. Dried red chilli flakes can also be added instead of green chillies.
- Cornstarch: Instead of cornstarch, you can even use tapioca starch or potato starch.
- All-purpose flour: Whole wheat flour can be used instead of all purpose flour (maida).
- Frying: Fry the cauliflower florets in oil which is neither too hot nor at a low temperature.
- Ajinomoto: You can choose to avoid Ajinomoto completely in the recipe or use it sparingly.
Nutrition
Gobi Manchurian recipe from the archives was first published on September 2014.
wow!!! i tried this and enjoyed very much – gobi manchurian is now on my favourites list – i love the sweet and sour sauce in chinese food – thanks dassana !
Great and thanks a lot for this lovely feedback.
i must say i’m not a big fan of fried battered veggies , but this recipe is something else !! the batter is so flavoursome and the gravy compliments it perfectly !! good job on sharing yet another genius recipe with us !!
Great and thank you.
Great recipe! Loved it and everyone who ate it loved it. Thank you for your website and amazing recipes!!
thank you smita for sharing this feedback. thanks for the rating as well. welcome and happy cooking.
Can I bake the florets instead of frying ?
you can bake them. but they won’t be crispy.
Tried and tested recipe.. It came out very tasty!!
I have been visiting this website from
5-6 years now.. it has helped me prepare so many new dishes and in a Healthy Way!!
Love ur recipes..
Thanks a lot for the feedback and the rating. Good to know. Happy cooking.
Dassana Thanks for this amazing recipe. Last time I shallow fried the florets. As you suggested it wasn’t crispy enough. I’ll be deep frying them this time. Could you advise if corn starch and corn flour are the same ?
welcome arvind. corn starch and corn flour are same.
This turned out perfectly! I had to give myself a pat on the back! It tastes like something offered in a restaurant. Just one question though. I had some batter that was left over and was wondering what I could do with it. I ended up discarding it but can it be stored and used later or is there any other way to use it?
Thanks Anitha for your positive feedback. You can use any other veggie like potatoes, mushroom, french beans, broccoli or paneer with this batter.
Hi dassana.. I want to make this for tonight but d issue is I don’t have any sauces coz my hub DNT like any sauces so I never buy.. itz strange but true.. so can u suggest me what to replace instead of sauce.. no matter even if it’s spicy
. Thanks and let me know ..
Welcome Fazila. Without sauce the taste will change. but you can add red chilli powder and lemon juice to the dry gobi manchurian. for an indian taste you can even add chaat masala powder.
Simply the best. You are indeed my everyday saver. Thanks for always sharing point to point recipe
welcome hiral. thanks for your positive words.
Hi dear, tried this today it came out so well. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I tell my friends also that if I do any recipe from ur website, sure it will be yummy no doubt :).. everyone liked at home. Thank you..
Welcome Divya. Thanks for your positive feedback and for spreading word about website.
Very educative
Hi Dassana, the recipe turned out great as usual. But my gobi wasn’t crispy when we ate immediately after sauting in sauce while it was crispy after deep frying…
What could be the reason? I had a 10 min gap in between..
bhavana, if the gobi florets are chopped in small pieces and then fried, they are more crisp and even after some time span, they will still remain crisp. large florets do not become that crisp, when shallow fried. also deep frying gives really good crispness in the florets. the pan fried ones won’t be that crisp. they will be crisp but not as crispy as deep fried ones. time span won’t affect the texture much.
I have been following your blog for quite some time..all your dishes are really amazing..but this one is the best..
Hats off to you for making restaurant dishes easy to be prepared at home..the pictures helps in knowing the real colour and texture..everything seems so easy and simple to prepare following your method and the taste is muaaah..
Lots of Love..<3
very pleased to know this neha 🙂 thankyou for your humble and encouraging words. glad you like our blog and also a regular follower. god bless you.
Thanks for the great recipe Dasanna ji. Manchurian was outstanding. Thank you very much.
welcome meenakshi and thanks for the feedback.
Tried this one too. Munching on it rite now, yummyyyyy ??
And as I always say good job Dasana ?
thanks amrutha for your kind words.
Hi!! Im gonna try your recipe today it seems delicious. But I have no corn starch. Do you have any substitute for corn starch? Or I cant skip to add ?
instead of corn starch, you can use tapioca flour, maize flour (makai ka atta), arrow root flour or rice flour in the batter. if you do not have any of these flours, then just skip the corn starch.
Hi dassana. I prepared the gobi manchurian and it turned out to be yumm. My hubby loved it. Thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
pleased to know this sakina and thankyou so much 🙂
Is possible to make this by baking it in the oven? Frying food is hard on my stomach and makes my stomach hurt.
This recipe looks like ot will be very good. Thank you. Can’t wait to try it.
you can bake them in the oven. but they won’t be crisp. for baking, i would suggest to blanch the cauliflower in water. don’t make a batter. just mix the flours, spices etc to a dry mixture. toss the cauliflower florets in the dry mixture so that they evenly coat them. spray some oil on the florets and bake till done.
how to make manchuria without any sauce…also i want it spicy…
pls tel me.
you can check this recipe – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/gobi-manchurian-dry-recipe/
add more of green chilies, ginger, garlic and black pepper to get a spicy taste.
Very nice.
so easy to make by these instructns.
tnk u.
I was lazy and didn’t fry the cauliflower with the batter. I just cooked it in water. I made the sauce (added also a litte sweet and sour chilli sauce because I had only concentrated tomatoe (no sugar, no spices) and followed the recipe. Even my dish was very good!! Thank you! One question; could I use ginger – and garlic paste because I’m bad at cutting things fine and small : p
thanks sari. good and nice to know about the variations. yes sweet and sour chili sauce can be added. yes you can use ginger-garlic paste.
Ur recipe seems good, gonna try it today. But i dont have vinegar and spring onions. I m gonna substitute it for onion. Any substitute for vinegar?
thanks ARchie. add few drops of lemon juice instead of vinegar. but don’t add too much lemon juice otherwise it will become sour.
I added tomato ketchup and it came out well.
thanks for sharing.
I have tried your recipes it was very tasty and only veg receipes are there it’s very good my children loves it thanks a lot
welcome pallavi. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes.
we love it…thanks
welcome sumi
Verynice recipe .. thanq so much
thanks richa.
I tried ur recipe. It came out very yummy and my husband loved it.
thanks richa
Hi dasana I don’t know how to thank you for the wonderful recipes u r really great
thanks purity for your kind words.
Hi dasana I really like your recipes and this dry gobi manchurian I tried its really yummy. Thanks
welcome purity. glad to know this.
Hi Dassana,
I have tried gobi manchurian numerous times. Every time it turns out to be flop 🙁 gobi absorbs lot of oil and becomes soggy. I have tried using maida, corn flour, rice flour and what not, please tell me what might’ve gone wrong.
hi padma. oil has to be hot. if the oil is hot, the gobi will not be soggy. if fried at low heat, then the gobi will absorb a lot of oil and become soggy.
Thanks dassana. Will keep that in mind and try it shortly.
welcome padma
Just found your wonderful website!
In your recipe above, you bring the water to boil and then blanche the cauliflower. Do you turn the heat off or as low as possible?
amar, the heat is turned off.
Yet another super sucesss with your amazing recipes! I don’t have any corn flour so I didn’t use it but it still came out perfect. Now nobody believes that I am an amateur cook. 😀 Thanks Dassana! 🙂
welcome sneha. thats good to know. keep on trying more recipes. thanks for sharing positive review on gobi manchurian recipe.
Thks!
welcome mohini
Hi Dassana have been trying lot of ur recipes these days like palak paratha, mattar paneer, mattar pulao, simple sambhar all these dishes turned out to be excellent, thk u vry much for the wonderfull recipes and ur prompt replies really appreciate that. Please keep up the good work. Dassana if i would like to try out manchurain using only cabbage how do i go about it please…as my daughter insists on putting only cabbage. This is a dish which often likes to eat frm stalls avilable at consumer shopee. Thks!
thanks again mohini. you will have to make them like cabbage pakora. so you can add 1 cup of finely chopped cabbage. then add 1/4 cup corn starch and 1/4 cup maida. add the other ingredients too. don’t add water first. just mix and keep aside for 15 minutes. then add little water to make thick batter ad then fry them like pakoras.
Gobi manchurian , I loved it. Its process to make is so easy. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I will try this for my loving wife recently.
welcome manish
just now followed step by step and made this,just awesome, me ,my husband and my 3yr old loved it, i dont prefer deep frying so this is perfect, thanks for the detailed recipe,we all enjoyed it
welcome harini. glad to know that you liked the recipe.
very good recipe
thanks sheebu
Tried ds recipe today… awesome taste nd texture. .. bt gobi pieces weren’t very crispy
thanks. if the batter is thick, then the gobi pieces are not crisp. if the batter is thin, then the gobi pieces become crispy.
Very easy to make n tasty
It was so easy,I loved it
Very good recipe, so tasty …………………………
thanks kishore
I tried it ……. Its reallly amazing with fried rice ….
thanks yash
Gobi manchurian , I loved it . It was so easy to cook. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
thanks asha.
I love spicy indian food 🙂 and especially cauliflower. It looks a bit like chili paneer but in the case of chili paneer, there’s no spices. I usually use red pepper when I prepare chili paneer. The recipe you posted seems really nice and easier to prepare.
thanks jesina.
easy to make, less ingredients, & time consuming recipe …..nice.
thanks shweta
Manchurian is one of my favourite dish but its not good for health, but this dish is really awesome, I m loving it. Hope i can eat it..!!
Tried this recipe today and it came out so delicious……..
Thanks for explaining it so well…
I will surely try the other recipes too
welcome deepthi. glad to know that you liked the gobi manchurian.
Will surely try. Sounds simple. U mada it easy
thanks jini