Gobi Manchurian Recipe | Cauliflower Manchurian

Method19 steps · about 45 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Cut the small 500 g cauliflower head into about 250 g cleaned medium florets. Soak in the separate 3 cups slightly hot water, not boiling, 5 minutes. Discard, rinse in separate cold water and drain.

   Uses 250 g cleaned cauliflower florets (from one small 500 g head) · 3 cup water · cold rinse water, discard

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Spread on a clean cloth or pat dry with paper tissues, to remove excess moisture. You can do this ahead and set aside at room temperature. Any moisture in the gobi will cook it to soft and not crisp.

   Uses same 250 g cleaned florets, warm soak and cold rinse discarded

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Heat up the oil for deep frying on a medium heat.

   Uses oil

4. 4

   Step 4: Combine only the batter 65 g flour, 32 g starch, optional ½–1 tsp batter chili, ¼ tsp pepper and ¼ tsp salt.

   Uses 65 g all-purpose flour · 32 g cornstarch · ½–1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder · 0.25 tsp black pepper · 0.25 tsp salt

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Add only the half cup batter water gradually to make a free-flowing lump-free batter, neither runny nor very thick. Extra batter water only if needed; do not use the separate sauce water.

   Uses 0.5 cup water · additional batter water only if needed · flour/starch, optional batter chili, ¼ tsp pepper/salt

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Add the gobi florets to the batter (in batches), coat them well.

   Uses same prepared florets surface-dried · same mix with half cup batter water and extra only if needed

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Test the same heated frying oil with a tiny portion of the existing batter. It should sizzle and rise without browning immediately.

   Uses same unmeasured frying batch, not fresh sauce oil · small sample from existing batter; unknown fraction

8. 8

   Step 8: Pick up each cauliflower floret with a spoon or fingers & gently drop them one by one to the hot oil. The flame has to be medium initially and should be increased slightly as more gobi is added. Avoid disturbing/ stirring them for 1 to 2 minutes, as the coating can easily turn messy.

   Uses portion of existing coated florets for each batch · same fry oil, batter sizzles/rises without browning

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Reduce the flame to medium and fry until the florets turn golden and crisp. Keep stirring in between for even frying. Remove them with a spider, shaking gently to get rid of the excess oil.

   Uses same coated batch after coating sets

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Drain the same crisp fried florets. Repeat coating/frying with the remaining florets and batter in the same oil; keep it medium-hot, not smoking.

    Uses same fried batches, drain and repeat with remaining supplies

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Optional: refry the same once-fried florets in the existing frying oil for extra crispness, then drain. Otherwise retain the once-fried florets from step 10.

    Uses ONLY refry chosen, same once-fried batch · same hot fry oil, no fresh whole supply

12. 12

    Step 12: Optional sauce-color paste only: mix the separate ½ tsp sauce chili with its separate 1 tbsp water. Omit if no color powder is wanted.

    Uses 0.5 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder · 1 tbsp water

13. 13

    Step 13: Choose one sauce style. DRY: mix the base 1 tbsp soy, 2–3 tbsp red chili sauce (or chosen hot-and-sweet substitute), optional 1–2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tbsp vinegar and optional color paste from 12. SEMI-DRY: use twice those base sauces/sugar/vinegar, adding the separately listed extra doses; optionally double sauce-color chili. Separately mix only 1 tsp slurry starch with ½ cup slurry water. gravy: use three times the base sauces/sugar/vinegar, with the separate extra doses; use two to three times sauce-color chili according to heat preference. Separately mix only ¾ tbsp slurry starch with 1 cup slurry water. Do not combine styles or use batter starch for slurry.

    Uses 1 tbsp soy sauce · 2–3 tbsp red chili sauce · 1–2 tbsp tomato ketchup · 0.5 tbsp rice vinegar · 1 tsp sugar · ONLY extra chosen semi-dry OR gravy sauce dose; omit for dry · ONLY extra chosen semi-dry OR gravy sauce dose; omit for dry · ONLY extra chosen semi-dry OR gravy sauce dose; omit for dry

14. 14

    Step 14: Heat the separate fresh 1½ tbsp sauce oil in a wide pan; do not reuse the deep-fry oil. Sauté garlic (1 tbsp), ginger (0.5 tbsp) and optional green chili (1) 1–2 minutes without burning.

    Uses 1.5 tbsp oil · 1 tbsp garlic · 0.5 tbsp ginger · 1 green chili

15. 15

    Step 15: Then add spring onions (⅓ cup) whites & bell pepper (0.25 cup). Saute them on a high flame for 2 mins.

    Uses ⅓ cup onion · 0.25 cup bell pepper · fresh 1½ tbsp sauce oil and aromatics sautéed 1–2 minutes

16. 16

    Step 16: Add the one chosen mixed sauce from 13. For DRY add only the 3–4 tbsp dry-sauce water and cook until thick. For SEMI-DRY or gravy, omit dry-sauce water and stir its matching slurry into bubbling sauce until thick. Add only the separate ½–¾ tsp finishing pepper and optional ⅛ tsp initial sauce salt, then turn off.

    Uses 3–4 tbsp sauce water ONLY dry route · ½–¾ tsp black pepper · 0.125 tsp salt · same onion/whites and optional pepper sautéed 2 minutes · ONLY one dry/semi-dry/gravy route with its exact selected slurry

17. 17

    Step 17: Taste the cooked sauce and adjust only with separately listed extra salt, chili sauce or vinegar as needed. It should be slightly tangy, sweet and hot.

    Uses salt (extra only to taste cooked sauce) · red chili sauce (extra only to taste cooked sauce) · rice vinegar (extra only to taste cooked sauce) · same selected sauce thickened then heat off

18. 18

    Step 18: Cool the sauce 1–2 minutes, then toss in only the same drained once-fried florets from 10 OR the optional refried florets from 11. Coat gently just before serving.

    Uses same sauce rested 1–2 minutes · ONLY if refry 11 omitted, same drained fried florets · ONLY if refry 11 chosen, same refried florets

19. 19

    Step 19: Garnish gobi manchurian with spring onion greens (2 tbsp). Serve immediately as a appetizer or as a side with noodles or fried rice.

    Uses 2 tbsp spring onion greens · same selected fried cauliflower and sauce