Easy Gobi Manchurian Cauliflower Manchurian My Food Story

on Jul 28, 2021, Updated Oct 15, 2021 I’m creating a huge repository of Indian Chinese recipes because I love them so so much! And I know you guys are crazy about them too. And this Gobi Manchurian had to join the list.

What is Gobi Manchurian

Gobi Manchurian is more an Indian dish than a Chinese dish, where crispy deep fried florets of cauliflower or gobi are tossed with ginger, garlic, green chillies, onion and capsicum along with a sweet, spicy soy sauce based sauce till the gobi is just coated so that it can retain its crispiness. It’s a little different from a veg or chicken manchurian where balls are formed and deep fried. I like to cut the florets into 1/2 inch pieces and then batter fry them so that they can get extra crispy.

Ingredients for Gobi Manchurian

Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe

Cauliflower or Gobi: I recommend cutting the florets small, about 1/2 inch in size so that they cook faster and become extra crispy when deep fried. You’ll notice in the video that I have soaked the florets in hot water for 10-15 minutes. This helps get rid of any dirt or worms that may be hidden in the cauliflowerBatter: The batter is a simple mix of all purpose flour, cornflour, kashmiri chilli powder (paprika), ginger garlic paste, salt and water. The batter should be thick so that it coats each cauliflower floret well. To make this gobi manchurian gluten free, just swap the all purpose flour with rice flour. Ginger Garlic: We are using a lot of chopped ginger and garlic in the recipe for that extra boost of flavourGreen Chillies: Don’t skip this. I stick to 1-2 chillies depending on how spicy they are, but if you eat at a Bangalore darshini, they probably use 4-5 per recipe. If you live outside India, use Serrano Peppers or even JalapenosOnions & Capsicum: Cut into small squares approx 1/2 inch so that they are similar size as the cauliflowerSauces: You’ll need some basic sauces that make Chinese cooking really fast and easy – soy sauce, ketchup, red chilli sauce/sriracha/any hot sauce and synthetic vinegarOther essentials: Salt, pepper and cornflour for thickening

How to make Gobi Manchurian

Batter frying the cauliflower is probably the most tedious part of this recipe but those crunchy bits of cauliflower are so worth it! Most of it may not even make it to the pan – fried cauliflower is addictive!!

Soak: Soak the Cauliflower in Hot Water to get rid of any wormsBatter Coat: Make a thick batter and coat the cauliflower wellSauce: Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauceDouble Fry: The crispy gobi/cauliflower in this recipe gets that texture because of double frying. The first time fry the cauliflower in batches in hot oil for 2-3 minutes which allows the cauliflower to cook completely. Take it out, and then increase the heat under the oil so it becomes really hot. Add all the fried cauliflower to the hot oil and fry it for a minute to get an extra crispy coating. Stir Fry: Stir fry all the ingredients and add the sauce. Cook till the sauce thickens.Toss and Serve: Add the fried gobi right at the end and give it a quick toss till the sauce coats the pieces and serve immediately. If you simmer the gobi in the sauce, or don’t serve it immediately, it will soak up the sauce and lose its crispiness

Richa’s Top Tips

To make the best gobi manchurian, here are my top tips:

Size: Cut the gobhi or cauliflower into 1/2 inch florets. The small size helps them become and stay crispPrep in advance: Prep all your ingredients and the sauce mixture in advance. This is true for all indo chinese recipes. Once things start going into the wok, you won’t have the time for any cutting or mixing because the recipe moves really fastToss: Toss the gobi for barely a minute or so just until the sauce coats the gobi. If you let it sit in the sauce for too long, it won’t remain crispyServe immediately is my biggest tip for some really spicy, amazingly crispy Gobi Manchurian!

Gobi Manchurian is super desi in its flavours and I love it that way. It goes really well with hakka noodles, egg fried rice or even plain steamed rice. This recipe is for Gobi Manchurian dry, but if you’d like more gravy then the instructions are in the recipe notes below. I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!