Easy Gobi Manchurian (Cauliflower Manchurian)

Easy Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indo Chinese recipe where super crispy cauliflower florets are tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce in a way that they remain crispy till the end! There is a simple trick that makes this the crunchiest, crispiest gobi manchurian dry.

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 ½ 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 ½ 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 cauliflower
• Batter: 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 flavour
• Green 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 Jalapenos
• Onions & Capsicum: Cut into small squares approx ½ inch so that they are similar size as the cauliflower
• Sauces: 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 vinegar
• Other 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 worms
• Batter Coat: Make a thick batter and coat the cauliflower well
• Sauce: Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce
• Double 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 ½ inch florets. The small size helps them become and stay crisp
• Prep 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 fast
• Toss: 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 crispy
• Serve 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!

More Indo Chinese Recipes

• Chicken Chow Mein
• Chilli Paneer
• Chilli Chicken
• Chilli Garlic Noodles
• Sweet Corn Soup
• Burnt Garlic Mushroom Fried Rice
• Dragon Chicken

Watch the Video

Gobi Manchurian

Easy Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indo Chinese recipe where super crispy cauliflower florets are tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce in a way that they remain crispy till the end!

5 from 9 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Snacks & Appetizers

Cuisine: Indian Chinese

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 127kcal

Author: Richa

Ingredients

Cauliflower Prep

• ▢ 250 Grams Cauliflower cut into ½ inch florets
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• ▢ ⅓ Cup All PurposeFlour
• ▢ ¼ Cup Corn Flour
• ▢ ½ Teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper freshly ground
• ▢ ¼ - ½ Cup Water
• ▢ Oil for frying

Sauce

• ▢ 1 ½ Teaspoons Soy Sauce I used Ching's Dark Soy Sauce
• ▢ 1 Teaspoon Vinegar
• ▢ 1 ½ Tablespoon Tomato Ketchup
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Red Chilli Sauce
• ▢ ½ Teaspoon Sugar
• ▢ ½ Teaspoon White Pepper Powder
• ▢ ¼ Cup Water
• ▢ ½ Teaspoon Corn Flour

Stir Fry

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Garlic minced
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Ginger minced
• ▢ ½ Cup Onion cut into cubes
• ▢ 1-2 Green Chilies finely chopped
• ▢ ½ Cup Green Bell Pepper cut into cubes
• ▢ 1 ½ Teaspoon Salt
• ▢ ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper freshly ground
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Spring Onion greens only, chopped

Instructions

Cauliflower Prep

• Trim the stalks and cut the cauliflower into small round florets. Pour hot water and soak for 20 minutes.
• Place the cooked cauliflower on a kitchen towel and spread them out. Allow it to dry out while you prep the remaining ingredients.
• Combine chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, corn flour, all purpose flour, salt and black pepper. Mix and add ¼ cup of water and stir to combine. Ensure there are no lumps. The consistency should be thick enough to coat the cauliflower florets and stick on.
• Heat enough oil in a large kadai for deep frying. Dip the cauliflower florets in the prepared batter and carefully drop it into the oil once hot. Remember to drop in the florets one by one. This will prevent them from sticking to each other. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove on a netted tray.
• Increase the heat under the oil till it becomes really hot, and add the cauliflower pieces again. Double frying like this helps them become super crisp. Fry on high heat for only a minute and then remove them.
• Remove the florets using a slotted spoon or a skimmer and transfer to a tissue paper lined tray. Keep aside.

Sauce

• Add all the ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. Ensure there are no lumps and keep aside.

Stir Fry

• Heat oil in a wok on high heat. Once the oil is hot, add garlic and ginger and saute till fragrant. Add celery, onion, chillies and saute for 1 - 2 minutes.
• Add bell peppers and saute for 2 more minutes. Remember to stir constantly.
• Add the fried cauliflower and toss to combine.
• Add the sauce mix on medium heat and stir continuously. Cook till the sauce thickens, about 3 - 4 minutes. If you find it too dry, add the remaining ¼ cup of water and mix to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper and allow it to thicken to your liking. Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot!

Video

Notes

1. Gobi Manchurian with Gravy: For more gravy, increase the water in the sauce to 1 cup. Follow all the steps as is. The cauliflower won't remain as crispy if you have more gravy because the coating will absorb some of the liquid and soften. It'll still taste fantastic though!
2. You can substitute gobi for other vegetables like potato, babycorn, mushroom or even proteins like paneer or chicken. Be sure to adjust the cooking time and method accordingly for the frying part. The stir fry part remains the same. 
3. Stir Fry  happens quick and over high heat. Be sure to keep everything prepped and ready before you begin. 

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 968mg | Potassium: 221mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 186IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

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