Gobi Manchurian

Indo Chinese cooking is very similar to Chinese cooking that involves plenty of sauces. But the spicy Indian twist makes it different.

If you love Indo Chinese recipes, you might be very familiar with gobi or cauliflower manchurian. This is a classic recipe in which cauliflower florets are fried and then smothered in sweet, spicy sauces. To be honest, I was hooked on the very first bite. Trust me, you’ll never miss the meat.

The star of this dish is, not surprisingly, cauliflower or gobi. The first step of the recipe is all about cooking this lovely vegetable. This can be done in two different ways. You can either cook them in boiling water, or steam them as I did. Whichever method you choose, make sure you don’t overcook them.

Gobi Manchurian is phenomenal as a side dish or starter. It pairs well with any flatbread, fried rice or pulao.

First, I’ll cook the cauliflower florets. Place the florets in a bowl. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and enough salt. Mix well. Set aside for 15-20 minutes. Place them in the steamer. Cook. Remember – do not overcook cauliflower. You can see the perfectly cooked cauliflower florets in the picture.

Now we need to make the batter. Place flour and enough salt in a large bowl. Add water little by little to make smooth, thick batter. Add in cooked cauliflower. Toss well. Make sure the florets are well coated in the batter.

Now heat oil to fry the florets. Add the florets. Fry. Do it in batches if needed.

Fried cauliflower florets are ready.

Heat oil in another large pan. Add ginger and garlic. Fry until browned.

Add onions and capsicum (bell pepper). Fry again until they become soft.

Add green chilies. Fry again for 1 minute.

Add  tomato sauce, soy sauce and chili sauce. Mix well. Cook for 1 minute.

Stir in cauliflower. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat. Garnish with spring onions if you like.

More Cauliflower recipes:

• Chilli Gobi or Chilli Cauliflower
• Restaurant Style Gobi (Cauliflower) 65
• Aloo Gobi
• Cauliflower and Potato Curry
• Cauliflower Crust Pizza
• Lentils Kale Cauliflower Curry

Yield: 4

Gobi Manchurian

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Gobi Manchurian is a very popular Indo Chinese featuring fried cauliflower cooked in Chinese sauce.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

To cook cauliflower:

• 4 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Salt to taste

To make batter:

• 3 tablespoons plain flour or all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• Water
• Salt to taste

To make Manchurian:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic, sliced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, sliced
• 1 cup diced onions
• 1 cup diced green capsicum or bell pepper
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon green chili sauce
• Oil for shallow frying
• Salt to taste
• Spring onions, finely chopped, to garnish

Instructions

1. Marinate cauliflower with minced ginger and garlic for 15 – 20 minutes. Place them in a steamer and cook until tender. Alternatively, you can cook them in boiling water. (see notes). Set aside.
2. To make batter, place plain (all purpose) flour, cornflour, and enough salt in a large bowl. Add water little by little to make smooth, thick batter. Add cauliflower and toss well. Make sure the florets are well coated with batter.
3. Heat oil for shallow frying in a large pan. Add cauliflower in batches. Do not overcrowd the pan. Turn occasionally and make sure all the sides are browned. When done, drain on an absorbent towel. Set aside.
4. To make manchurian, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic. Saute, stirring, for 1 minute, or until browned. Add onions and capsicum (bell pepper), and sauté, stirring occasionally, for another 2-3 minutes or until they are softened.
5. Stir in tomato sauce, soy sauce and chili sauce. Saute, stirring, for 1 minute. Add cauliflower, and cook until heated through.
6. Remove from heat. Serve warm garnished with spring onions

Notes

-If you want, you can cook cauliflower in boiling water. To do this, place a large pot of water over medium-high heat. When it starts to boil, add cauliflower. Cover and cook until cauliflower florets are tender
-Make sure the batter is very thick. Runny batter won’t stick to the cauliflower florets

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 293Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 0mgSodium 312mgCarbohydrates 49gFiber 6gSugar 10gProtein 9g