Gobi Manchurian/Cauliflower Fritters in Spicy Sauce
Another star of the Indian Chinese cuisine. “Gobi” is Cauliflower & “Manchurian” is a tangy spicy sauce with Chinese inspired flavors. This spicy, slightly crunchy “pick me ups” are perfect appetizers or may even be served as a side dish.
“Manchurian” dishes may be made with cauliflower, paneer or chicken and is extremely popular in India but the the sauce has no basis in the historical Chinese region. In India this ever popular dish is served at glamorous restaurants as well as by the street side vendors and is consumed with vigor and excitement among all classes of people.
I have written elaborately about the fusion of the Indian and Chinese cuisine in this post. This is a delicious recipe well loved by all in my family. Enjoy!
Gobi Manchurian/Cauliflower Fritters in Spicy Sauce
Ingredients: (serves 4 as appetizer)
- 1 medium cauliflower, broken into medium to small florets
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup corn flour/corn starch
- salt
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1.5 inch fresh young ginger, peeled and very finely grated
- 1 teaspoon green chili paste (optional)
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon white pepper powder
- water to make a thick batter
- oil to deep fry the cauliflower florets
For the sauce:
- 1/2 cup minced garlic
- 1/3 cup very finely grated ginger
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 7-8 green chili pepper, slit (If you cannot tolerate the heat, take out the seeds and the membranes)
- 1/3 cup hot sauce – like Sriracha or green chili sauce or any Asian hot sauce (adjust amount to your tolerance)
- 1 bunch spring onion, separate the green and the white parts
- 2-3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 3/4 teaspoon brown sugar/sugar
- 1/2 cup tomato paste or ketchup (I prefer to use the paste as the ketchup as it turns the sauce sweet)
- 3 tablespoons oil (I strongly recommend 100% Pure Sesame Oil)
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- salt
Preparation:!n a a pan of salted water, cook cauliflower for only a couple of minutes minutes. (or microwave in salt water for a couple of minutes). The florets should still retain the crunch. Drain, pat dry with a towel, and set aside.
In a bowl, combine all purpose, cornflour, salt, ginger, garlic, white pepper, green chili paste, soy sauce and just enough water to make a thick paste.
Heat enough oil in a wok to deep fry the florets. Dip the drained florets into the batter such that its well coated. Place each coated floret that is well coated with the batter into the hot oil. Please fry them in batches and do not overcrowd the florets in the oil. Fry the florets switching between high and medium heat till they turn golden brown. Remove and drain them on an absorbent paper and keep aside.
To make the sauce:In a bowl, combine the tomato paste/ketchup, hot sauce (whatever you prefer to use), soy sauce, sugar/brown sugar, and salt with about 1 cup of water and set aside.
Chop the white and the green parts of the spring onions separately. Keep them separate; the white part is going to be used in the sauce and the green part is going to be used for garnish.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan, preferably with a wide base to hold all the florets in a single layer. Add the minced garlic and the grated ginger and stir fry on high heat for about 4 minutes. Add the white parts of the green onion and the chopped onions and green chili peppers. Fry everything together for about 3-5 minutes till the onions turn clear. Add the paste/ketchup, soy sauce, hot sauce etc that you combined in a bowl earlier to the pan. At medium heat simmer for about 3 minutes.
Mix the corn starch/corn flour with 2 tablespoons of water add it to the pan and simmer for another minute. Now add the fried florets in the sauce and cook them at high heat while tossing them frequently till all the sauce coats all the florets. Switch of the heat a minute after you start hearing a sizzle.Garnish with the chopped greens of the spring onions. Serve immediately with your favorite condiment as appetizer or even maybe with some Hakka Noodles or Spicy Singapore Fried Rice.
Don’t they look good?
Related Posts:
Paneer Kofta (Stuffed Cheese Balls)
Cauliflower Stir Fry in Ginger & Soy Sauce
haaaaiiiii re Soma…why are you killing me by posting such a damn good pics?? *sigh*
Looks perfectly cooked,i always love this! But lazy to make,my kid always wants this ..your recipe sounds very nice,got to try this version!
Look good?! You don’t know what they’re doing to me. :p
Awesome Soma … just awesome pics. Aaj ke dinner e etai baniye feli … kichu kopi jole bhijche ( summer er kopi … shukiye kaath hoye thake … tai). 🙂
They looks beautiful…just so inviting…so r u invited? ;)….
They look very good, indeed! 🙂
Your recipes are so yummy!!!
I discovered this blog few months ago and I simply love it!
I love indian cuisine and I’m trying to learn more about it…To follow your blog is a wonderful way to do it…
A wonderful dish! What a great way of preparing cauliflower!
Cheers,
Rosa
Cauliflower can be a bit bland, but this would certainly perk it up no end. I am taking a note of this recipe. Thanks Soma 🙂
yum! the yare my fave!
They look very good, indeed!
Eta try kortei hobe, kono din korini. Mane ekbar korechilam kintu bhenge giyechilo 🙁
YUM! I ate a lot of these in Bangalore and as soon as I came back, I made some too. Looks perfect, good one.
beautiful clicks and of course yummy appetizer!
Looks delicious!! The curry looks wonderful.
What a delicious way to eat cauliflower!!!! Love your pictures!!!!! I can’t stop looking at them 😉
I had veg manchurian, mashroom manchurian in the veg dishes but never had gobi manchurian…new to me….try kortei hobe….ja colour arr dekhte hoechhe..dekhei mone purota shesh kore ni…
Perfect, but i make very rarely! Because it is always not enough for us!
When I was in Bangalore, I used have gobi manchurian from a raodside stall almost everyday while coming back from office.
You post reminded me of those days. The preparation looks so delicious 🙂
Absolutely delicious!!!. I love any Indian Chinese food. Loved all of your clicks.
Wow, the sauce looks and sounds amazing!
Soma, what did you serve this with? Can I take some home? I have some leftover egg fried rice and nothing to eat it with. :-((
I have never seen Gobhi Manchurian so delectable.
We had some as appetizer, and then the rest for dinner with fried rice. It would do really good with the leftover egg fried rice. You are welcome to come and take all of it;-)
Indian chinese is the best! Nothing like some hakka noodles and gobi manchurian! you are awesome!
Wow, fusion of indian and chinese, I never would have thought, but I should have; I live in a country where I can go to a function and get indian, chinese, african and other food all together! Looks yummy, going to definitely
what to say..just love it..
How nice it looks and sounds – how this dish appeals to me!
Yes, they look delicious! I love roasted cauliflower and Aloo Gobi. One dish I have not done is Gobi Manchurian.
They do look delicious and it’s actually an interesting and new way (for me at least) to prepare cauliflower. lovely!
I like delicious food.When i have time ,i will learn from you to make it.
Looking great, Soma…pics are awesome as usual
My mother used to make similar fritters without the spices and when we did not have dessert we would add some sugar on top and eat them 🙂
look so good,..
Soma the pics are amazing,gobi manchurian looks delicious!
what a delicious feast to the eyes !!!! mouth watering….n very very tempting !!!
I’m not big fan of cauliflower, but this recipe with the gorgeous photos is making me thinking twice!! 🙂
Cheers,
Gera
Another great new way for me to prepare cauliflower! Delicious recipe Soma. Amazing photos!
I must try it, my family would definitely enjoy it too 🙂
How utterly exciting! I have never thought of Indian and Chinese cooking colliding but to do so and to make if vegetarian (my fave way of eating) looks fantastic. Speaking of looking fantastic, the photos are wonderful. The selection of the pink tablecloth was perfect to get the most form the images.
These look so appetizing! Nice pics! Hope you had a grand feast!
You know, the kiddo loves these. The only reason he asks us to go to Indian restaurant is because of this. We hesitate as they add MSG and other stuff to it. I have been meaning to try it for a long time now. Glad to have found the recipe. Pictures are beautiful, Soma.
Goodness… I am starving now! YUM!
Looks extremely yummy!!!!
Love Gobi Manchurian. Made these for the first time two years ago and they became one of the most popular recipes on my site!
Awesome,perfect
Hey Friend!!
Your recipe is just awesome!! I have been looking for some really good chinese recipes which can compete with the restaurant taste.. And thanks to you that finally I got one!! I tried your gobi manjurian last night and it was too good..Once again thanks and keep posting such good ones!!!
your instructions mention nothing in regards to the 7-8 slit peppers
Sorry about that! updated it. They are to be added to the sauce with the onions.
Can you tell me how many servings this will make?
It serves about 4 as a starter/appetizer. I have updated the post.
Just tried it last evening. Came out perfect. Thank you. I have tried many of your recipes. Each one has come out perfect. You are doing a great job. Keep it up.