Gobi Manchurian (Dry Chilli Gobi Recipe)

Gobi manchurian recipe: A slightly spicy, restaurant style Indian appetizer with bold, vibrant flavors. Cauliflower florets are steamed in the instant pot, battered and fried until perfectly crisp, and finally coated in a sweet and sour sauce. Tastes heavenly over a bed of noodles or rice. Comes together in 30 minutes!

This juicy, slightly crunchy, orange-y cauliflower sitting over a bed of spaghetti has stolen my heart. Like, seriously. And it's not just about the way it looks and tastes (awesome). Maybe it's just me, but there's something about twirling a forkful of noodles and cauli and putting it in your mouth that's totally comforting. If you don't feel the same way about pasta, you can have gobi manchurian all by itself as a snack too.

Confession - fusion food's not really my thing. This isn't one of those tried and tested recipes I've made a gazillion times as I've always had Indo-Chinese recipes only while eating out. I tried this beautiful vegetable lo mein recently and it came out tops! But this time round, I got brave and decided to try cooking chilli gobi (less fancy name but same thing) as an experiment. And it worked! I made it three times last week and the last of those attempts was for a pot luck where it was one of the first things to go. Did manage to click a few pics in the middle of all that frenzied cooking.

Of course, I had to put it on the blog and share it with you!

Gobi Manchurian Ingredients

• 1 small to medium sized cauliflower, cut into florets
• all purpose flour
• cornflour
• rice flour (made by grinding uncooked rice in a spice or coffee grinder)
• spring onion (white and green parts separated and chopped)
• garlic (chopped)
• soy sauce
• hot sauce
• ketchup
• white vinegar
• black pepper powder
• brown sugar
• salt
• cooking oil

How to prepare gobi Manchurian

Step 1 - Steam or blanch the cauliflower

The cauliflower should neither be completely raw nor mushy for the perfect manchurian. To get the right amount of crunch, you can either steam it if you have an instant pot or blanch it on the stovetop.

Steaming (Instant Pot method)

Add one cup of water to the instant pot. Arrange the cauliflower florets in a steamer basket and sprinkle a quarter teaspoon salt on them. Pressure cook on low for zero minutes, then release pressure immediately (Quick Pressure Release).

Blanching (Stove top method)

Bring a pot of water to a roiling boil on the hob, add 1 tablespoon salt and put in the cauliflower gently to avoid splashing. Switch off the heat after 2 minutes. Let the cauliflower simmer for 2 minutes, then remove it from the water and keep aside.

Step 2 - Batter and deep fry the cauliflower

Make a thick paste of all the flours - cornflour, all-purpose flour and rice flour and add the cauliflower florets to it so that they get coated completely. Then, deep fry the florets for 30 seconds in very hot oil. The florets will get golden brown and crisp almost immediately in the hot oil.

Step 3 - Make the manchurian sauce 

Heat the oil in a frypan and add the white part of the onion and garlic. Saute for two minutes, then add all the sauces - soy sauce, hot sauce and ketchup. Add the brown sugar and black pepper powder as well. Add half a cup water and simmer for 5 minutes. To bring the sauce to a coating consistency, dissolve 1 teaspoon cornflour in 3 tablespoons water and add to the sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens.

Step 4 - Add the fried cauliflower to the manchurian sauce 

Add the fried cauliflower to the manchurian sauce and turn off the heat. Toss until the cauliflower has absorbed most of the sauce. Finish with a garnish of spring onion greens.

If making a meal out of it, cook some rice or spaghetti according to package instructions. Spoon the cauliflower manchurian over the rice or spaghetti and serve warm.

Tips to make the perfect, crispy cauliflower manchurian

1. The cauliflower should not be over-cooked. It should still be firm and crunchy after you steam or blanch it.

2. Rice flour gives a crispy texture to anything it's added to, so don't skip it while making the batter.

3. Flash fry the cauliflower florets in very hot oil for a golden-brown, crisp exterior and remove quickly once done. If the oil is not hot enough, you will have to fry the florets longer. They will absorb more oil and also get over-cooked. Not good.

Note: If you want to know more about flash frying, have a look at this post by Livestrong.com: How to Cook by Flash Frying.

4. Don't cook the cauliflower in the sauce otherwise it will become too soft. When the sauce is ready, switch off the heat and toss the florets in the sauce until they have absorbed the liquid.

5. Serve the manchurian as soon as you can after making it. Indo-Chinese dishes do not take too kindly to being kept for too long.  The vegetables lose their crispiness and become soggy.

If you liked this recipe, another Chinese-style vegetarian starter you might want to try is vegetable spring rolls. With a delicious filling of cabbage, carrot and spring onions, these rolls are crispy and golden on the outside and bursting with flavor at first bite!

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