An indo chinese favorite, gobi manchurian is made with crispy, golden fried cauliflower florets coated in a spicy & tangy, sweet chili sauce (aka the) manchurian sauce. This dry gobhi manchurian recipe is a showstopper appetizer that can easily moonlight as a main dish when paired with some delicious fried rice or hakka noodles. Whether you're snacking or dining, it's sure to hit the spot!
Indo-Chinese dishes are my exciting escape from the everyday grind of rolling flatbreads and making curries. It fills the kitchen with the warmth of chilies and the smoky goodness of chinese condiments. Toss the flavorful manchurian sauce with noodles or chicken, add in a kick of Indian spices, and you've got a delicious marriage of flavors! It might sound a bit quirky to some, but for me, indo chinese cuisine is totally addictive!
What is Gobi Manchurian
Gobi Manchurian is a popular indian-chinese fusion dish made from cauliflower(gobi). You will find in on menus of restaurants & street side vendors and being prepared in home kitchens. If you are like me and turn up your nose at the mention of cauliflower, this recipe will convert you!
In India, you will find a gravy version as well, however I prefer the dry version and that's what I am sharing with you. To whip up Gobi Manchurian, you take cauliflower florets, coat them in a batter and then give them a bath in hot oil until crunchy. Then toss crispy cauliflower florets in a lip-smacking spicy sauce aka the manchurian sauce.
While cauliflower is the hero ingredient, the manchurian sauce is the true star of the dish. This flavorful umami sauce is a favorite in India, popping up everywhere in different forms—tossed with noodles (manchurian noodles), crispy chicken bites (chicken manchurian), or veggie dumplings (vegetable manchurian).
Manchurian sauce is perfumed with aromatics such as scallions, garlic, cilantro stems, red onion and ginger. After stir frying the aromatics on high heat, we introuce smokiness from soy sauce, heat from chili sauces and a sweetish tang of ketchup!
How To Get Crispy Cauliflower
- Cut the gobi in small pieces - If the pieces are too big, they won't cook evenly and may end up soggy inside while overcooked outside. Cutting them small ensures even cooking and a thorough batter coating, giving you an irresistible crunch in every bite.To give you an idea, the florets should be small enough to be eaten in one bite.
- After washing, spread out the florets on a large kitchen towel or paper towel to air dry. Make sure that the cauliflower florets are fully dry before you add them to batter. If the florets are wet, the batter won't adhere properly to the florets, hence uneven coating and soggy texture.
- Lastly, make a medium consistency batter. This batter is a bit tricky because of cornstarch. Add water slowly while mixing. The batter should be thick enough to coat the cauliflower florets evenly, but not so thick that it becomes clumpy & gloopy. A medium consistency ensures that the batter forms a light, crisp coating around each floret and fry up perfectly golden and crunchy. If the batter is too thin, it won't adhere well.
My 5 Top Tips to Make Best Gobi Manchurian
- Deep Fry The Cauliflower - If you want to experience authentic gobi manchurian, deep fry the cauliflower. There's something about biting into a crunchy cauliflower floret doused in umami flavors. The crispy batter gives way to tender, juicy cauliflower and hencea satisfying texture contrast. The Manchurian sauce coats each floret in savory, tangy, and slightly sweet flavors. This combination makes each bite deliciously addictive.
- Don't make it tomatoey - This is a personal preference, but I don't like tomatoey Indo-Chinese food. Tomato sauce or ketchup overpower everything with their acidic tang and mask the balanced, nuanced flavors of soy sauce, chili, ginger and garlic.
- Mise En Place- Once you start stir-frying the Manchurian sauce, there's no stopping. Pausing to grab a spice or sauce can cause the aromatics to lose their crunch. Like other Asian recipes, Indo-Chinese dishes need ample prep work. Measure out all condiments and chop everything in advance. Having everything ready before cooking ensures an efficient process, preserving the vibrant flavors and textures.
- Make the Manchurian Sauce first- As soon as the cauliflower is perfectly crispy, toss it in the sauce and serve immediately for the best taste and texture. This way, the cauliflower stays crunchy and delicious, without getting soggy while you prepare the sauce.
- Use Indo Chinese Condiments - Indo-Chinese cuisine owes its unique flavor to typical Indian condiments. I use Indian brands (such as Ching's) for that authentic taste, but you can confidently use what you have in your pantry to try this recipe. I am including substitutes in the post.
Ingredients
Notes & Substitutes
- Kashmiri Chili powder - Use paprika powder. Don't use smoked paprika
- Indian Green Chilies - Use hot peppers such as serranos instead
- Red Chili Sauce - Use chili garlic sauce instead
- Green Chili Sauce - Use green sriracha instead
- Honey - Substitute with brown sugar
How To Make Dry Gobi Manchurian
Make the Manchurian Sauce
- In a bowl, mix up the ketchup, red chili sauce(or sriracha), green chilli sauce(or green sriracha), dark soy sauce, tomato ketchup,ground spices and salt +pepper. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix cornstarch & water thoroughly to make a slurry. Set nearby.
- Place a wok or a wide pan (10 inch or larger) on stove and let heat up on high. Most part of the cooking will be done on high heat.
- Pour oil into the wok and let it get slightly smoky. Add chopped garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, green chilies, onion, green onion/ scallion white parts all at once. Cook for 1 minute or till you smell a nice aroma.
- Add in the sauce mixture that we made earlier. Combine with aromatics and fry for 1-2 minutes or untill you start seeing bubbles. This indicates that the sugars are caramelizing, which means great flavors are developing.
- Next, pour about ¼ cup of hot water (or vegetable stock) to the wok. When the water starts slowly boiling, while stirring the contents of wok with one hand, pour in the cornstarch slurry that we made.
- After adding corn starch, reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for about 2 minutes untill the sauce thickens. Don't thicken too much because as the manchurian gravy cools down while we deep fry the caulifower,it is naturally going to thicken more.
- Switch off the stove, do a taste test & adjust the salt quantity if needed. Mix in the honey and vinegar and leave to cool down. Proceed to frying the gobi.
Deep Fry the Gobi (Cauliflower)
- In a bowl, mix together all purpose flour, corn starch or corn flour(in india), salt, black pepper and kashmiri red chili powder. Slowly, pour water to make a smooth, lump-free medium consistency batter. It should feel thickish and resist while mixing. This consistency batter won't run off the florets.
- Place half of the caulifower florets in the batter. Turn all around to coat the florets very well. The caoting should be thin.
- Place a deep pan to heat up on stove. I fry them in my wok.
- Pour enough oil into the wok so that you have about 2.5 inches deep. This depth is crucial for evenly frying the cauliflower, ensuring each floret gets submerged in oil and turns out crispy and golden brown all around.
- You need hot oil(but not too hot) for deep frying. To check the temperature manually, drop a few drops of batter in the hot oil and it should quickly float to top without changing color. On a thermometer, the temperature should read about 340F.
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.
- Carefully, place the battered caulifower florets in hot oil. Don't overcrowd the oil.
- For the first 2 -3 minutes, don't touch the florets else they will start sticking to the wok. They will release on their own when the bottomed are crisped up.
- Turn around the florets and let fry to get golden crispy on all sides. You will need to keep a watchful eye. Using a slotted spoon, pick up the crispy caufilower florets and drain on a paper towel.
- Repeat the process for the other half of caufiflower florets and deep fry. Some people like to double fry/flash fry the cauliflower florets again but I don't.
Note - Deep fry cauliflower in batches. You might need to fry in 3 or 4 batches depending on size of your cooking pan.
Mix Manchurian Sauce And Fried Cauliflower
- To the cooled manchurian sauce, add the fried cauliflower, chopped cilantro * green spring onion parts. Using a spatula, very gently toss well so that the florets are evenly coated in sauce. Don't stir too much else cauliflower will start breaking. Garnish with more chopped green scallions & cilantro. Serve immediately.
Air frying Cauliflower
During recipe testing, I tried air frying the cauliflower and frankly, did not like the results at all. The cauliflower florets turned quite dry and gummy. I don't recommend air frying the gobi while making machurian.
Crispy Gobi Manchurian (Dry)
Ingredients
For the Manchurian Sauce
- 1-1.5 tablespoon dark soy sauce (see note #1)
- 1.5 tablespoon red chili sauce (hot) I use Ching's, use chilli garlic sauce instead, adjust quantity to taste
- 1 tablespoon green chilli sauce (hot) I use Ching's, use green sriracha instead, adjust quantity to taste
- 1.5 tablespoon tomato ketchup
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ -1 teaspoon salt the ready to use sauces that we are adding are quite salty so add accordingly
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch make a slurry with 2 tablespoon water
- 2-3 tablespoon oil I use avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
- 4 scallions (green onions) white and green parts finely chopped separately
- 3-5 indian green chilies (hot!) finely chopped, adjust quantity to taste
- 1 tablespoon cilantro stems finely chopped
- ⅓ cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar (see note #2)
- ¼-1/3 cup water
- ½-1 teaspoon rice vinegar adjust to taste, the ready to use sauces that we are adding are quite tangy so you might need at all, I use only ½ teaspoon
For the Gobi Fritters
- 600 g cauliflower florets cut in small size. Make sure the florets are fully dry else batter would slip off.
- ½ cup (80g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup corn starch (cornflour)
- 1.5 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or use paprika powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoon water or as required to make the batter, add gradually
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Make the Manchurian Sauce
- In a bowl, mix up the ketchup, red chili sauce(or sriracha), green chilli sauce(or green sriracha), dark soy sauce, tomato ketchup,and salt +pepper. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix cornstarch & water thoroughly to make a slurry. Set nearby.
- Place a wok or a wide pan (I use 10 inch ) on stove and let heat up on high. Most part of the cooking will be done on high heat.
- Pour oil into the wok and let it get slightly smoky. Add chopped garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, green chilies, onion, green onion/ scallion white parts all at once. Cook for 1 -2 minute or till you smell a nice aroma and the veggies start looking lightly charred.
- Add in the sauce mixture that we made earlier. Combine with aromatics and fry for 1-2 minutes or untill you start seeing bubbles. This indicates that the sugars are caramelizing, which means great flavors are developing.
- Next, pour about ¼ cup of hot water (or stock) to the wok. When the water starts slowly boiling, while stirring the contents of wok with one hand, pour in the cornstarch slurry that we made.
- After adding corn starch, reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for about 1-3 minutes untill the sauce thickens. Don't thicken too much because as the manchurian gravy cools down while we deep fry the caulifower,it is naturally going to thicken more.
- Switch off the stove, do a taste test & adjust the salt quantity if needed. Mix in the honey and vinegar and leave to cool down. Proceed to frying the gobi.
DEEP FRY THE GOBI (CAULIFLOWER)
- In a bowl, mix together all purpose flour, corn starch or corn flour(in india), salt, black pepper, garlic and kashmiri red chili powder. Slowly, pour water to make a smooth, lump-free medium consistency batter. It should feel thickish and resist while mixing. This consistency batter won't run off the florets.
- Meanwhile, place a wok or any deep pot on the stove to heat up. I fry them in my wok.
- Pour enough oil into the wok so that you have about 2 to 2.5 inches deep. This depth is crucial for evenly frying the cauliflower, ensuring each floret gets submerged in oil and turns out crispy and golden brown all around.
- You need hot oil(but not very hot) for deep frying. To check the temperature manually, drop a few drops of batter in the hot oil and it should quickly float to top without changing color. Another way is to dip natural wood chopsticks in oil, the oil around chopstick tips should sizzle. On a thermometer, the temperature should read about 340F.Note - We are not boiling or blanching the cauliflower before frying. Do not fry the florets on very high heat else they will be raw from inside.
- Once oil is hot, reduce heat to high-medium. Carefully, place the battered caulifower florets in hot oil. Don't overcrowd the oil.
- For the first 2 -3 minutes, don't touch the florets else they will start sticking to the wok. They will release on their own when the bottomed are crisped up.
- Turn around the florets and let fry to get golden crispy on all sides. You will need to keep a watchful eye. Using a slotted spoon, pick up the crispy caufilower florets and drain on a paper towel.
- Repeat the process for the other half of caufiflower florets and deep fry. Some people like to double fry/flash fry the cauliflower florets again but I don't.Note - Deep fry cauliflower in batches. You might need to fry in 3 or 4 batches depending on size of your cooking pan.
- To the cooled manchurian sauce, add the fried cauliflower, chopped green onions and cilantro. Using a spatula, very gently toss well so that the florets are evenly coated in sauce. Don't stir too much else cauliflower will start breaking. Garnish with more chopped green scallions & cilantro. Serve immediately.
Nikhil
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)
Shay
I made this tonight and it was so delicious!
Mary Ann Pruter
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.
Bill Shultz
Really enjoyed this. Better than our local restaurant. The sauce was a nice balance... spicy and savory. I left the sugar out... just personal preference.
Tanvi Srivastava
Thank you for trying.Glad that you enjoyed the recipe.
Lekha Parekh
Your recipe was amazing and perfect we really enjoyed it thank you
Tanvi Srivastava
Yay! Thank you! Happy to hear!