Gobi Manchurian is hands down almost everyone’s favorite Indo-Chinese starter! And how can you not love it? This delicious vegan appetizer features deep fried cauliflower florets tossed in a spicy chili garlic based Manchurian sauce. The best parts of Indian and Chinese cuisine are blended together in one delicious fusion dish!
Let me show you my tried and true version of how to make a restaurant style Gobi Manchurian at home! I have made it several times for many family and friends and it is always a huge crowd pleaser! It’s also the number one recipe that everyone asks me to make for them when they come over. You can easily make it too! Scroll down for a detailed recipe and a VIDEO TUTORIAL! 🙂
For me, this is the recipe that started it all: Gobi Manchurian. I always felt like this recipe was too advanced. Before I learned how to make this, I was only making the basics.
However, this happens to my husband’s absolute favorite dish of all time. So, I just had to try it out. It took me a few tries before I came up with a recipe that I was satisfied with. But once I did…my husband asked me to make it again and again the same way!
I posted the picture on Instagram and I got multiple requests for the recipe. So, I started this blog. And, I gained the confidence to try a variety of recipes of all levels.
But, Gobi Manchurian will always have a special place in my heart. This recipe is tried and true and absolutely delicious. I hope you try it today!
Gobi Manchurian tastes absolutely bomb with Veg Hakka Noodles! Check out the recipe here.
Cauliflower/ Gobi Manchurian
Cuisine: Indo-Chinese4
servings15
minutes30
minutes300
kcalDeep fried cauliflower florets tossed in a spicy, Indo-Chinese sauce
Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower (separated into medium sized florets)
- Batter
1/2 cup all purpose flour/white flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp red chili powder
A pinch of red food coloring (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 – 1 cup of water
Oil for deep frying
- Sauce
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves of garlic (minced or crushed)
1 inch ginger (minced or grated)
2 green chilis (minced or slit)
2 scallions/spring onions (sliced into thin circles and separated into white and green parts)
1/2 small red onion (finely diced)
1/2 small green pepper/ capsicum (finely chopped)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp red chili sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1/4 tsp white rice vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup water
A pinch of red food coloring (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Separate 1 medium cauliflower into medium sized florets. Wash and thoroughly air dry florets. Keep aside.
- Mix the Batter
- Add 1/2 cup white flour, 1/2 cup corn starch, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, a pinch of red food coloring (optional), 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper to a medium sized mixing bowl.
- Slowly add in about 1/2 – 1 cup of water till you get a smooth, flowing batter. (Note: It should be thick and not watery.)
- Add all the cauliflower florets to the batter. Mix well and make sure each floret is coated with a nice, thick layer of batter. (Note: If the batter doesn’t stick to or coat the cauliflower properly, add a bit more white flour and cornstarch using a 1:1 ratio.)
- Deep Fry the Cauliflower
- Fill a frying pan about half full with oil. Heat at a medium flame.
- Slowly drop a coated cauliflower into the frying pan. (Note: Make sure that there is enough oil to completely cover the cauliflower. Place as many cauliflower florets as you can in the oil, but spread them apart – don’t let them touch each other.)
- Deep fry all the cauliflower in batches until they turn golden and crispy. Take them out of the oil, using a spider strainer and place them on a paper towel (placed on a bowl or plate) to absorb the oil.
- Once you have fried all the cauliflower, you can quickly deep fry all the cauliflower again for extra crispiness. However, this is not required. Once your cauliflower is ready, it is time to make the sauce.
- Make the Sauce
- To make the sauce, first heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok at a medium flame.
- Add 2 cloves garlic (minced/crushed), 1 inch ginger (minced) and 2 green chilis (minced) and sauté.
- Add the white part of 2 scallions/spring onions (thinly sliced into circles) and 1/2 small red onion (diced). Sauté till translucent.
- Then, add 1/2 small green pepper/ capsicum (finely chopped) and sauté. Cook covered for a few minutes.
- Once the green pepper is cooked, add 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp red chili sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, and 1/4 tsp vinegar. Mix well.
- Next, add a mixture of 1 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup water. (Note: This is the “secret” ingredient to a thick sauce.)
- If you want wet Gobi Manchurian, add another 1/2 cup of water. If you prefer it dry, skip this step and keep going.
- For an extra pop of color, add a pinch of red food coloring (optional).
- Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes.
- Once the sauce starts to bubble, turn off the flame.
- Off flame, add the fried cauliflower florets to the sauce. Mix well.
- Garnish with the green part of 2 scallions/spring onions (thinly sliced into circles). Enjoy! 🙂
Notes
- Red food coloring is entire optional. It just adds a pop of color, but doesn’t impact the taste.
- Some people marinate or blanche the cauliflower before frying, but I don’t prefer to do that for Gobi Manchurian because I feel that it adds extra moisture.
- Some people use a 2:1 ratio of white flour and cornstarch. However, I have found that a 1:1 ratio makes it extra crispy!
- I would suggest to prep your ingredients for the sauce ahead of time so that as soon as you are done frying the cauliflower, you can start the sauce. You don’t want to let the fried cauliflower sit for too long, or it might lose its crispiness.
- If you are nervous about deep frying, my advice is to use a small, deep pot/pan instead of a wider, shallow one. Also, if you aren’t comfortable dropping the item to be fried into the hot oil with your bare hands, a spoon works just as well.
- As mentioned in the instructions, you can double fry the cauliflower for extra crispiness. However, this is not required.
- It is very important to add the fried cauliflower florets to the sauce off flame to prevent the Manchurian from becoming mushy.
- If you don’t have red chili sauce, you could use siracha sauce or just double the amount of tomato sauce/ ketchup.
- Instead of minced ginger and garlic, you could use a pre-made ginger/ garlic paste.
- I prefer to mince my green chilis in a grinder. However, you can finely mince them by hand or even just slit them.
- There are many versions of this recipe. This is my tried and true version that I came up with. I hope you love it!
- Vegan Option: This recipe is Vegan! 🙂
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you all try this recipe out! I would love to see your own adventures in cooking! Please take a pic and share them with me on Instagram/Facebook @chaitrascreations.
