Indo Chinese cuisine is an exciting break from the everyday meals I make at home.It cuts the boredom of rolling flatbreads, boiling lentils & picking rice – the sizzling wok replaces the whistling pressure cooker. The kitchen suddenly beams with warmth of sesame oil, tang of vinegar and smoky soya sauce.The bliss is rounded off with the kick from indian spices like red chilli powder or garam masala– you have a marriage of cuisines.A cuisine which occupies an  emotional space in the heart of every Indian & which greets them with a promise of satisfaction. The concept may sound little weird to few but for me its indulgent & addictive – I am yet to meet an Indian who doesnt like it.
Talking about Indo Chinese I tend to travel back in time to ol’ college days – I fondly think of the little hangout near college – ‘ The Yak’.  A dimly lit room, walls adorned with red & gold cloth hangings and a seating capacity of just ten – the place eternally smelled smoky & was jam packed. I have lived so many of those silly yet cute occasions of college life there, particularly the sunday evenings  when the hostel mess was off. Right from exchanging those inquisitive glances when the love birds walked in as we snacked on vinegar soaked chillies to hideous gossips that followed over slurps of steaming thupka or taming chopsticks to behave, everything was so much fun.There were no contemporary interiors or ornate themed furniture, no uniformed waiters or elegant cutlery & serveware, I doubt there was an AC even – but it was one time of life with good friends & good food.
A widely popular vegetarian dish of the indo chinese genre, Gobi Machurian is nothing but batter fried cauliflower florets in a ‘Manchurian’ sauce. Do not confuse the origins of  ‘Manchurian’ sauce – it definitely has nothing to do with that region in South East Asia. Creatively masterminded by chinese who lived in eastern parts of  india for centuries, just imagine it to be an amber-colored, tangy and remotely sweet sauce with hints of indian spices. Indo chinese IS what it is due to typical indian condiments – I make it a point to use the indian brands for the authentic taste. However, you can confidently use your pantry to try this recipe.
You will find streets of India dotted with vendors selling robust Indo Chinese (sometimes better) than what we prepare in our homes. Just drop the calorie bug off your mind when you hit the streets though. From traditional chowmein, chicken lollipops, chilli noodles to chop suey –  everything has the essential indian tadka. It is difficult to resist the aroma emanating from their woks when garlic & ginger saute in turmeric hued seasme oil or when soya sauce simmers with generous pinches of garam masala. Even more mouth-watering is the way those carts look – neatly arranged rows of shredded vegetables, oiled noodles and odd colored sauce bottles – promising that everything is made FRESH!
Coming back to the recipe, manchurian sauce can be dry or wet – it’s totally your call. I prepare the consistency somewhere in between. It coats the cauliflower florets thoroughly but is not runny. Anything from deep-fried cauliflower, paneer (indian cheese), chicken strips, breaded tofu, shrimp or vegetable balls can be combined with this sauce to make lip smacking appetizers or main course. This dish cannot be made in advance, it tastes best when the cauliflower is crispy (freshly fried).
Serves 2-3
IngredientsÂ
For the Gobi Fritters
- 1 medium cauliflower
- 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Serrano chilli, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 2 fat garlic pods, minced
- 1 tsp dark soya sauce (I use Ching’s brand)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup water (or as required to make the batter)
- Canola Oil for frying (or vegetable oil)
For the Manchurian Sauce
- 2 tsp dark soya sauce (I use Ching’s brand)
- 4 tbsp chilli- tomato sauce (I use Maggi Hot & sweet)
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp cornstarch +4 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp pure sesame oil
- 2 tsp ginger, chopped
- 3 garlic pods, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions, white parts
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to tolerance)
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1.5 tbsp white vinegar (or to taste)
- For Garnish – chopped scallions(green parts)
MethodÂ
Making Cauliflower FrittersÂ
Cut the cauliflower florets into halves or quarters. Wash thoroughly under running water & let the water drain.
Meanwhile, in your fryer let the oil heat up. In a bowl, throughly mix all the ingredients listed to make a smooth batter . Dip the gobi florets in the paste and deep fry on low-medium heat till golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Set aside. (Tip :- Let the fritters stay warm in the oven while you make the sauce)
Note – I do not boil the cauliflower before frying. Do not fry the florets on very high heat else they will be raw from inside.
Making the Manchurian Sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together soya sauce, tomato-chilli sauce & honey. Set aside. In another bowl, mix cornstarch & water and let stand.
In a wok/pan , heat up the oil to smoking hot. Add chopped garlic & ginger and cook for 1 minute or till you smell the aroma. Next add the chopped scallions (white part) & red onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or till light brown in color. Add the coriander & turmeric powder next along with the soya sauce mix made earlier. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes  on medium-high heat or till you see bubbles on the sides.Next, add the cornstarch mix to the wok. Reduce the heat to low and let everything simmer for another 2-4 minutes till the sauce thickens.
Next, taste & adjust the salt in the sauce. Sprinkle the garam masala & vinegar to the wok and stir everything well.Remove from heat and add the fried cauliflower to the pan & (very gently)  toss well so that the florets are evenly coated.Dont stir too much with spoon at this point, else cauliflower gets mushy.
Garnish with chopped green scallions & serve immediately.
Notes :-
- Substitute dark soya sauce with tamari.
- Adding tomato – chilli sauce adds extra heat, you can substitute with plain tomato ketchup of choice.
Beautiful dish… I will be trying this!
Scrumptious and beautiful! A marvelous way of preparing cauliflower. What a wonderful combination of flavors.
Cheers,
Rosa
Oh my gosh this looks fantastic and your photos really do this dish justice. Tha sauce sounds killer, love the spice. Beautiful.
This really takes me back to my Delhi days.. Those vans selling Indian-Chinese food and how the finely shredded veges and noodles up are thrown so skilfully up in the air and back to the wok to prepare that perfect hakka / chowmein! I miss that food and watching them cook. Your Gobi Manchurian looks delicious!!
I love your writing. You should seriously consider sending these articles to a food magazine if you haven’t already done that. Great work! All the photos are awesome though the last has such a cool, rustic touch to it – my favorite from this series:)
Oh my Vishakha, thats a HUGE compliment. But I ll take it 🙂 Thanks so much!
I meant it, seriously. And you deserve it! 🙂
That looks good! I am not a huge fan of Indo-chinese food mainly because of how greasy it is but the only thing I would eat once in a while in gobi manchurian! It’s my guilty pleasure 😉
I refuse to let my ‘health oriented’ brain take over, ’cause this looks SO delicious!! That Manchurian sauce is to die for: [now, how can I incorporate all your beautiful tastes into the cauliflower without deep-frying?] Mmhh . . . grey matter ticking away . . .
Haha…I think you can roast the cauliflower instead. I do it at times when I m not in mood of frying.The taste is not AWESOME as original but good (because the sauce is so flavorful)!Try it & let me know 🙂
The dish Gobi Manchurian has come out superbly well here tanvi…Nice clicks to go with it.loved reading you.
Makes me hungry,super tempting and irresistible..
This looks fantastic. What a great way to prepare cauliflower.
Your dish is remind me when i lived in India, I always order Gobi Manchurian for my side dish 😉 yumm…looking at your photo, I wanted to dive. How much i missed it
I saw this on tasteologie and at first glance thought it was meatballs…then I saw it was cauliflower! Amazing…. totally making this! Yummmy
Saw this on tasteologie and at first glance thought it was meatballs! I’m so excited that its cauliflower! I’m totally making this!!! Yummmmm
Thanks Lauren. Hope you like it 🙂
these look awesome. saw you on tasteologie. must try.
Yummy!!! I have always wanted to makes these at home… Can’t wait to try this recipe.
My husband loves cauliflower and I think he will be instantly in love with this recipe
I love cauliflower Tanvi! This looks so delicious and love the glaze… I learned new word today – manchurian. Very yummy looking dish!
Oooh, that looks delicious! This might change my boyfriend’s mind about cauliflower.
yum
I’m going to try it with baked cauliflower for a slightly more healthful version! thanks 🙂
This reminds me of Bangalore. We would have the vendors selling it off their carts, with all the sounds of sizzling and tossing of those cauliflowers ! Beautiful pictures !
This is so enticing, Tanvi! I love the bold flavors that are perfectly balanced in here. I’m bookmarking this one!
I have always preferred Ind-Chienese to just authentic Chienese and that I think is in all Indian’s taste bud 🙂 The glaze in the opening photo is seriously making me crave for it!
I love this cauliflower dish! So flavourful!
i like indo chinese food and do try to make it whenever possible. the cauliflower manchurian is looking delish.
What an informative post and a nice recipe to try…thanks for sharing.
Who would have guessed the cauliflower could be so gorgeous?
Thanks so much everyone.
Tanvi, you dont know how much I love gobhi manchurian..
Berco’s in delhi was my place to go Or haka saka in defence for this…LOL
Love the pictures!!!
I think you mean Aka Saka. I used to love going for the chicken and sweet corn soup….
Hi Tanvi,
Do you think there is a way to stir fry or saute (or even better, bake!) the gobhi, instead of deep frying? I can’t legitimately keep making this for my family if it’s deep fried. Any thoughts? Thank you!
Nikhil
Hi Nikhil,
Frankly, I havent tried any other way except frying.You can bake the cauliflower florets at 400F for about 25-30 minutes or until they get browned evenly.You will have to toss the florets midway for even roasting on all sides. Keep in mind that when you bake, the batter should be slightly thicker than what I have mentioned in the recipe- may be 2tbsp water should be enough. Try it & let me know.
Thanks ..Tanvi
Hi Tanvi,
It’s been over a year, but I finally tried this recipe baking, rather than deep frying it. Overall, it was very very good, so thank you. Having had deep fried gobhi manchurian, you will miss the deep fried taste, which is better. But if you can get past that, you can enjoy the baked version for what it is. I did have to put more water than the 2tbsp you suggested, but you are right about generally needing less than in the fried version. The gorgeous color of the deep fried version is also missing, but that’s incidental. Thanks again for a great recipe (both deep fried and baked)
I will try it in a few weeks and let you know. Thanks!
What a delightful way to prepare cauliflower…looks amazing!
Many thanks to u for this
I consumed absurd quantities of gobi manchurian when I visited India last year, but haven’t had it since coming home to Canada… until tonight. Your recipe resulted in extreme culinary nostalgia. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for trying out and tge feedback. Its one of the dishes which takes me back home too!
Was searching for a nice, well defined and balanced recipe for this dish from months….I think my search has ended up here !! Will try soon….
Really thanks for the dish, tasty and yummy…
My mouth is watering just by seeing your photographs.You are a good food photographer.
I made this tonight and it was so delicious!
Good day to you!
I love gobi manchurian & have tried it once at home. The result was good but I boiled the cauliflower so it was really soft. I was wondering what went wrong as all the websites instructed me to do so. Trust me u’r gobi looks perfect & the pics are making me drool.. Haha
Am gonna try this awesum recipe tomorrow. Bt telme something if I fry the florets without boiling will I get the raw taste? Waiting fr u’r reply.
No not at all. I never boil cauliflower. The frying has to be done correctly as I mentioned in the recipe. Don’t fry on very high or very low heat. Fry on medium low heat till the florets are cooked through (but not mushy) and are crispy outside.
The dish looks like chicken wings. Yummy. Gotta try
Tried this yesterday and it was delicious. I doubled the batter and the sauce and it was perfect. For red chili sauce, I used Sriracha and I used Tamari instead of soya sauce. This was amazing.
Yay! Love your substitutions!