Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indian-Chinese starter or snack made with batter-coated, pan-fried cauliflower florets. The crispy cauliflower is tossed in a spicy, savory, umami sauce made with alliums, herbs, soy sauce, chilli sauce and tomato ketchup. This dry version is the most commonly served style in Chinese restaurants. It is usually enjoyed hot as an appetizer or snack.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 40 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Snacks
  • Cuisine: Indo Chinese

Ingredients

  • 1 cauliflower (– small to medium head)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour ((maida))
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch ((known as cornflour in India))
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder ((ground black pepper))
  • ½ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (or 1 teaspoon minced ginger-garlic)
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce (– naturally brewed)
  • 1 cup water (or add as required)
  • 5 to 6 tablespoons oil (– or add as needed, for pan frying)
  • 3 teaspoons or 1.5 inches ginger (– finely chopped)
  • 3 teaspoons or 8 to 10 medium-sized cloves of garlic (– finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon or 2 green chillies (– finely chopped)
  • ¾ cup spring onion whites (– chopped (scallion whites), reserve the greens for garnish)
  • ½ cup capsicum (– finely chopped (green bell pepper))
  • 1 tablespoon celery (– finely chopped, optional)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or add as per your taste)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup (or add as required)
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli sauce (or green chilli sauce or red chilli paste, spicy and not sweet)
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or ½ teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper powder ((ground black pepper))
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar (– optional)
  • salt (as required)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons spring onions greens (– finely chopped, for garnish)

Method

Preparing Cauliflower Florets

  1. Chop or break the cauliflower into small to medium florets.
  2. Rinse the florets well and drain.
  3. Bring 3 cups water with ½ teaspoon salt to a boil. Switch off the heat and add the cauliflower florets.
  4. Blanch for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and spread the florets on a tray or plate to air-dry for a few minutes.

Pan Frying Cauliflower Florets

  1. In a bowl, mix all-purpose flour, cornstarch, soy sauce, black pepper, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri red chilli powder, and salt.
  2. Add water and whisk to make a smooth, medium-consistency batter.
  3. Add the cauliflower florets and mix until evenly coated.
  4. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
  5. Gently place the batter-coated florets in the pan and pan-fry in batches.
  6. When one side turns crisp, flip the cauliflower florets and pan-fry the other sides.
  7. Turn the florets as needed and fry until crisp and golden on all sides.
  8. Drain on kitchen paper towels. Fry all the florets the same way.

Making Gobi Manchurian

  1. In the same pan, use the remaining oil and heat it over low to medium-low heat. Add finely chopped ginger, garlic, and green chillies. Sauté briefly until aromatic.
  2. Add chopped spring onion whites, capsicum, and celery (if using). Increase the heat slightly and stir-fry until the capsicum is half-cooked.
  3. Add soy sauce, tomato ketchup, spicy chilli sauce, black pepper, sugar, and salt. Mix well.
  4. Add the pan-fried cauliflower florets and toss until evenly coated with the sauce.
  5. Add rice vinegar, mix well, and switch off the heat. Adjust seasoning if needed.
  6. Garnish with spring onion greens.
  7. Serve Gobi Manchurian hot as a snack or as a side dish with veg fried rice, mushroom fried rice, hakka noodles or veg noodles.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.