Gobi Manchurian Recipe
Cauliflower or Gobi manchurian is one of the most popular vegetarian manchurian dishes from Indian Chinese cuisine. Fried cauliflower in slightly sour, sweet and hot manchurian sauce.
Cauliflower or Gobi manchurian is one of the most popular vegetarian manchurian dishes from Indian Chinese cuisine. Fried cauliflower in slightly sour, sweet and hot manchurian sauce.
- salt as needed
- 3 tbsp corn flour ((or corn starch))
- 1 tbsp soya sauce
- â¾ tsp sugar
- 250 grams cauliflower florets ((or gobi cleaned))
- 1/3 cup plain flour ((or 5 to 6 tbsp maida prefer organic or at least unbleached))
- â½ to 1 tsp red chilli powder ( or paste (less spi
- â¼ tsp coarse pepper
- oil for deep frying as needed
- 1 tbsp. garlic finely chopped
- â½ tbsp. ginger finely chopped
- 1 green chili chopped finely (less spicy variety)
- â¼ cup bell pepper ((capsicum chopped finely))
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onions or spring onions
- 2 tbsp. red chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp red chili paste made using â½ tbsp chilli powder (
- â½ tbsp vinegar (i used apple cider vinegar)
- 3 tbsp of water
- â½ to 1 tsp pepper coarsely crushed
- handful of spring onion greens chopped for garnis
- Carbohydrate 0.08355 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0015 g
- Fiber 0.0120000001788139 g
- Protein 0.15765 g
- Saturated Fat 0.000165 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (17g)
- Sodium 239.414499999499 mg
- Sugar 0.0715499998211861 g
- Trans Fat 0.00042 g
- Calories 1 calories
Step-by-step
- Clean gobi and cut the florets to medium size. Add them to hot water and rest for 5 minutes.
- Drain completely and spread on a clean cloth until no moisture remains on the gobi.
- Heat up the oil for deep frying on a medium heat. Meanwhile make the batter by adding corn flour, plain flour, red chilli powder, pepper and salt to a mixing bowl.
- Mix and add water little by little as needed and make a free flowing lump free batter. The consistency has to be medium and not too thick or very runny. Adjust salt as needed by tasting the batter.
- Add the gobi florets to the batter in batches, coat them well.
- When the oil turns hot enough, drop the florets one by one in the oil. The flame has to be medium initially and should be increased slightly as more gobi is added.
- Reduce the flame to medium and fry until the florets turn golden and crisp. Keep stirring in between for even frying.
- Drain them to a kitchen tissue.
- Heat oil in a wide pan and add garlic, ginger and chillies.
- Saute for a minute or two. Then add spring onions & capsicum. Saute them on a high flame for 2 mins.
- Add soya sauce, red chili sauce, red chilli paste, sugar and vinegar.
- Mix and add water. Mix and cook stirring and add pepper.
- Cook on a medium heat until the sauce thickens.
- Turn off the stove and check the taste. The sauce has to be slightly sour, sweet & hot. If needed you can adjust the salt as well.
- Allow the sauce to cool for 1 to 2 mins.
- Add the fried cauliflower and stir.
- Garnish gobi manchurian with spring onions. Serve immediately.
While traditional Hakka preparations rely heavily on dried fermented black beans and heavy soy reductions, Indo-Chinese cooking reimagines these foundational umami profiles through a distinctly vibrant local lens. Gobi Manchurian bridges distinct culinary philosophies by pairing the neutral starchiness of Brassica oleracea with an assertive base of aromatics. Raw cauliflower florets present a technical challenge because their dense cellular walls trap moisture, which inevitably leads to soggy crusts if the pre-treatment is skipped. Submerging the florets in hot water for exactly five minutes denatures surface enzymes just enough to halt oxidation while softening the outer layer for batter adhesion, but thorough air-drying on a clean cloth is mandatory to prevent spitting in the hot oil. Starch molecules from the corn flour and plain flour hydrate during the mixing phase to create a clinging suspension that gelatinizes instantly upon contact with medium-heat frying oil, forming a rigid exterior shell that protects the interior texture from becoming waterlogged.
Achieving the characteristic sweet, sour, and hot flavor profile requires balancing contrasting chemical agents in a rapid reduction. Acetic acid from vinegar provides sharp acidity that cuts through the rich vegetable oil, while granulated sugar caramelizes slightly alongside soy sauce amino acids through the Maillard reaction when cooked over medium heat. Capsaicin compounds from the chili paste and fresh green chilies dissolve efficiently in the lipid phase, distributing heat evenly throughout the thick pan sauce. Tossing the fried florets into the sauce just before serving maintains the structural integrity of the crisp crust before moisture migration softens the coating. Storing leftovers in an airtight container for up to twenty-four hours softens the vegetable entirely, transforming the texture into a dense, sponge-like vehicle that absorbs lingering aromatics differently upon reheating.
