Gobi Manchurian (Dry)

Gobi manchurian aka Cauliflower Manchurian is a popular street food in most Indian cities and a perfect example of Indo Chinese fusion cooking. Gobi Manchurian is deep fried cauliflower fritters mixed in a spicy and tangy sauce. ‘Gobi’ means Cauliflower in Punjabi and ‘Manchurian’ meaning sweet & sour. There are two variations of the same recipe. The dry version of the recipe is a delicious appetizer and the gravy version goes well with fried rice.

This recipe for Cauliflower Manchurian/ Gobi Manchurian calls for some hard work since the preparation is a bit time consuming. As for any fusion cooking there are no strict rules and the recipe is usually altered to suit the local palette.

Ingredients :

Cauliflower - 1
Oil
Spring Onions for garnishing.

For batter :
All Purpose flour (Maida) - 3 tbsp
Corn Flour - 3 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1tbsp
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Soy sauce - 1tsp
Salt - As per taste (Add a little less since some would be added to the sauce.)

For sauce :
Onion - 1 medium size
Capsicum - 1
Soy Sauce - 2 tsp
Tomato sauce / Ketchup- 2 tbsp
Chilli sauce/ Schewan sauce - 1 tbsp (Optional)
Garlic - 4 cloves (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1” piece (finely sliced)
Green chillies - 4 finely sliced
Spring onions - ¼ cup
Oil - 1 tbsp


Procedure :

For Cauliflower fritters:

1. Cut the cauliflower into florets and place it in hot salt water for 5-10 minutes. Alternatively the cauliflower can also be cooked in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
2. Mix all the ingredients for batter into a thick paste. Add very little water if required. Make sure each piece of the cauliflower is well coated with the batter.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the cauliflower pieces in medium heat till golden brown. A perfectly cooked floret should be soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.
4. Drain all the cauliflower fritters on a paper towel to remove excess oil.


For Sauce :

1. Heat oil in a wok and once the oil is hot add the garlic, ginger and green chillies. Toss these in the oil for a few seconds.
2. Add the onions and capsicum to the oil and stir fry the ingredients for about 3-4 minutes. The onions and capsicum should retain their crunch.
3. Add the soy sauce, tomato sauce and chilli sauce. Stir fry again for about 2-3 minutes. The sauce for the gobi Manchurian is now ready.
4. To the prepared sauce now add the cauliflower pieces and toss it for few minutes. Garnish it with spring onions and gobi Manchurian is now ready to be served with tooth picks.


Gobi Manchurian (Gravy)

For the gravy version add the required amount of water to the prepared sauce and bring it to boil. To get a thick consistency dissolve 1-2 tsp of corn starch in ¼ cup of water and add it to the sauce. (If the corn starch is added directly to the sauce there is very good chance to end with lumps). Bring the mixture to boil and when the required consistency is reached toss in the cauliflower fritters and boil for 1 or 2 minutes. This is now ready to served with rice or noodles.