Gobi Manchurian Recipe (Crispy Cauliflower Manchurian)

Gobi manchurian garnished with green onions.

4.88 from 49 votes

Gobi Manchurian Recipe (Crispy Cauliflower Manchurian)

Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indian-Chinese starter or snack made with batter-coated, pan-fried cauliflower florets. The crispy cauliflower is tossed in a spicy, savory, umami sauce made with alliums, herbs, soy sauce, chilli sauce and tomato ketchup. This dry version is the most commonly served style in Chinese restaurants. It is usually enjoyed hot as an appetizer or snack.

Prep Time40

Cook Time20

Total Time1

Course: Snacks

Cuisine: Indo Chinese

Diet: Vegan

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings:

Calories: 386kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

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

US Customary - Metric

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

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