Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indo-Chinese recipe made of crispy cauliflower florets coated in the spicy, sweet, and tangy Manchurian sauce! It can be served as an appetizer or side with some noodles and fried rice.
Indo- Chinese is our favorite cuisine so on weekends I will usually whip up our most loved combo - Hakka Noodles with Gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian.
Cauliflower Manchurian
Cauliflower is known as Gobi in Hindi, so gobi manchurian is also known as cauliflower manchurian and is a popular Indo-Chinese recipe.
For this recipe, first, the cauliflower florets are coated with flour & either deep-fried (traditionally), or air-fried or baked to give them a crunchy texture.
These crispy cauliflower florets are then tossed in a sweet-spicy and a tangy sauce called manchurian sauce (which is usually dark in color due to the soya sauce) to give delicious Gobi Manchurian.
The key to this recipe is those crispy florets even after being dunked in the sauce.
But honestly, it tastes so good even the next day when the florets have soaked up the sauce and are all soft.
It can be served dry as an appetizer or as a gravy dish with some veg fried rice or noodles. Either way, it's very delicious so let's see how to make Gobi Manchurian.
Recipe Ingredients
For the crispy cauliflower florets:
- cauliflower florets - washed and thoroughly dried cut into small to medium size (not too big).
- flour for making the batter - all-purpose flour or rice flour (gluten-free option), and cornflour.
- seasoning - salt pepper, ginger garlic paste, and red chili sauce (optional)
For the Manchurian sauce:
- veggies - green bell pepper and red onions cut in cubes.
- aromatics - spring onion, minced ginger, and garlic,
- sauces - dark soya sauce, red chili sauce, white vinegar, and tomato ketchup
- cornflour - for the slurry to thicken up the sauce
- seasoning - salt, sugar, and black pepper to bring it all together.
Step by Step Instructions
To make the batter
Prep: Cut the cauliflower into small to medium size florets (not too small or large) & wash them thoroughly. Allow them to dry off completely before adding them to the batter. You can prep this a day in advance.
1 and 2 - Mix all ingredients like flours, salt, pepper, ginger garlic paste, and red chili sauce (optional) together & add water as required (little less than 1/2 cup) to make a thick batter (not runny consistency).
If your batter gets runny, add a tbsp at a time of cornflour or flour and mix.
3 and 4 - Add the dry cauliflower florets & mix well so that each floret gets well coated with the batter.
These florets can now either be deep-fried, shallow (pan) fried, air -fried or baked.
I use the double frying technique which is used in restaurants which ensures the florets turn out really crispy.
For Deep frying - First Fry
5 - Heat oil in a wok on the medium heat & line a plate with a paper towel and keep it ready. Once the oil is hot, check by dropping a small drop of batter, it should sizzle back up.
6 and 7 - Now add the batter coated florets a few at a time & deep fry on medium-low heat till crispy and develop slight golden brown spots & crispy.
Don’t fry them on high flame as we want the cauliflower to be cooked from inside too.
8 - Remove on absorbent paper to drain any excess oil. Continue frying the remaining florets in a similar manner. Keep these crunchy florets aside.
If in rush simply continue frying the cauliflower for longer on low heat until golden brown and skip the second frying.
To make the manchurian sauce
Prep: Mix all the sauces (soya sauce, tomato ketchup, red chili sauce & vinegar) along with salt, pepper, and sugar. Chop and prep all ingredients and have them ready since we will be working on high heat.
9 - Heat oil in a wok or pan (big enough to hold the florets too) & to this hot oil add ginger, garlic,c and saute for few seconds until aromatic.
10 - Stir in spring onions, red onions, and bell peppers. Saute for a minute or two
11 - Add the mixed sauce mix & sauté for 1 min. In the meantime, make the cornstarch slurry and add it too.
12 - Saute till the sauce thickens slightly. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed.
Optional - Add 1/2 tsp sesame seeds and some green onions saute again (reserve 1/2 for garnishing).
For Deep frying - Second Fry
Fry these florets a second time and add to the gravy just before serving. This helps make the florets really crispy.
13 to 15 - Heat oil on high and once hot add the pre-fried florets as many you can fry without overcrowding and fry on high for 1-2 mins or until golden.
16 - Drain and remove the tissue paper.
Assembling the dish
17 to 19 - Heat up the sauce, mix the crunchy florets with the sauce. Stir fry for 1 min on hot flame till the florets get well coated with the sauce.
20 - Garnish with some spring onion greens & sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Serving suggestions:
Gobi Manchurian dry can be served either as an appetizer on its own or with veg noodles or as a gravy dish to go with veg fried rice.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Cut the cauliflower into similar small to medium-sized florets so that they cook evenly.
- Double fry the cauliflower florets for the crispiest gobi manchurian.
- Don't fry the cauliflower on a high flame or the center won't cook through.
- Just before serving fry them a second time on high heat until golden and crispy and then toss in sauce and serve immediately.
- I don’t prefer to blanch my cauliflower since the heat while frying and cooking is sufficient for cooking it.
- If you prefer blanching, add the florets to boiling salted water for 2-3 mins. Drain and dry completely. Then add it to the batter and fry.
- Use dark soya sauce for that rich and dark Manchurian color and flavor.
- Regular soya sauce can be used and the color may vary based on the soya sauce you use.
- Use freshly minced ginger-garlic in the sauce for the best flavor.
- Single fry the florets for a simple and quick recipe. If in rush, simply fry the cauliflower on medium heat until almost cooked and then on low heat until golden brown. In this case, fry the cauliflower after making the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, if you have an intolerance to gluten you can use a 1:1 rice flour or cornflour or arrowroot flour in the place of all-purpose. Also, replace sauces to gluten-free ones.
Air fry the batter coated cauliflower florets in batches at 400F for 10-15 mins rotating halfway through. Time may vary based on the make and model of the air-fryer. Rest all the steps to make the sauce and assembling the dish remain the same.
Yes, place the batter coated cauliflower on to a parchment paper-lined baking tray and bake at 400°F preheated oven for 25-30 mins until golden and crispy, turning halfway through. Transfer onto a wire rack to prevent them from getting soggy.
Hope you enjoy this Gobi Manchurian recipe!! If you give this recipe a try, please rate by clicking stars ⭐️ in the recipe card. Thank you ❤️ ! You can also follow me on Facebook | Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!
Gobi Manchurian
Ingredients
For the batter :
- 4 cups cauliflower florets washed and dried
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour or rice flour
- ¼ cup cornflour
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tbsp red chill sauce optional
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Manchurian Sauce
- 1-2 tbsp oil
- 3-4 small spring onions finely chopped approx 1/3 cup
- 2-3 small spring onions greens finely chopped
- ½ cup green bell pepper cut in cubes
- ½ cup red onion cut in cubes, each layer peeled.
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 tbsp dark soya sauce or regular soya sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp red chili sauce hot chili sauce
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- ½ tsp cornflour mixed in 2 tbsp water for the slurry
- 1-2 tsp sugar or honey
Instructions
Make the batter
- Prep: Cut the cauliflower into small to medium size florets (not too small or large) & wash them thoroughly. Allow them to dry off completely before adding them to the batter. You can prep this a day in advance.
- Mix all ingredients like flours, salt, pepper, ginger garlic paste, and red chili sauce (optional) together & add water as required (little less than 1/2 cup) to make a thick batter (not runny consistency). If your batter gets runny, add a tbsp at a time of cornflour and mix.
- Add the dry cauliflower florets & mix well so that each floret gets well coated with the batter. These florets can now either be deep-fried, shallow (pan) fried, air -fried or baked.
For Deep frying - First Fry
- For deep frying, I use the double frying technique which is used in restaurants which ensures the florets turn out really crispy. Please see notes for single fry technique.
- Heat oil in a wok on the medium heat & line a plate with a paper towel and keep it ready. Once the oil is hot, check by dropping a small drop of batter, it should sizzle back up.
- Now add the batter coated florets a few at a time & deep fry on medium-low heat till crispy and develop slight golden brown spots & crispy. Don’t fry them on high flame as we want the cauliflower to be cooked from inside too.
- Remove on absorbent paper to drain any excess oil. Continue frying the remaining florets in a similar manner. Keep these crunchy florets aside.
Make the Manchurian sauce
- Prep: Mix all the sauces (soya sauce, tomato ketchup, red chili sauce & vinegar) along with salt, pepper, and sugar. Chop and prep all ingredients and have them ready since we will be working on high heat.
- Heat oil in a wok or pan (big enough to hold the florets too) & to this hot oil add ginger, garlic,c, and saute for few seconds until aromatic.
- Stir in spring onions, red onions, and bell peppers. Saute for a minute or two
- Add the mixed sauce mix & sauté for 1 min. In the meantime, make the cornstarch slurry and add it too. Saute till the sauce thickens slightly. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Add 1/2 tsp sesame seeds and some green onions saute again (reserve 1/2 tsp sesame seeds for garnishing).
For Deep frying - Second Fry
- Fry these florets a second time and add to the gravy just before serving. This helps make the florets really crispy.
- Heat oil on high and once hot add the pre-fried florets as many you can fry without overcrowding and fry on high for 1-2 mins or until golden. Drain and remove the tissue paper.
Assembling the dish
- Heat up the sauce, mix the crunchy florets with the sauce. Stir fry for 1 min on hot flame till the florets get well coated with the sauce.
- Garnish with some spring onion greens & sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Cut the cauliflower into similar small to medium-sized florets so that they cook evenly.
- Double deep fry the cauliflower florets. You can also use one of the below techniques for frying the florets.
- Single fry for a simple and quick recipe. If in rush, simply fry the cauliflower on medium heat until almost cooked and then on low heat until golden brown. In this case, fry the cauliflower after making the sauce.
- Heat oil in a pan and fry florets in batches without overcrowding. Flip after 5-6 mins when one side is golden. Fry the other side too until golden and then drain on a paper towel.
- Air fry the batter coated cauliflower florets in batches at 400F for 10-15 mins rotating halfway through.
- Time may vary based on the make and model of the air-fryer.
- Place the batter coated cauliflower on to a parchment paper-lined baking tray and bake at 400°F preheated oven for 25-30 mins until golden and crispy, turning halfway through.
- Add 3/4 to 1 cup water to the Manchurian sauce and cook until it thickens slightly before adding the florets.
Yummy, Mouth watering recipe Thank you for posting
Hi Shweta,
Just tried this last night.. LOVED it! 🙂 Thank you!! it was delicious 🙂
thanks for indian taste
thanks for indian taste
Very well written and clear! Makes this easier to prepare with the pictures. Well done Shweta:)
Thanks Everyone 🙂
The best recipe ever..as gud as the picture the looks and taste..will be making again
Hry Shwetha..new to your space find it very exciting..nice recipes and presentation..
Do visit mine when free.. www.sirisfood.com
An all time fav so perfectly replicated!!! Looks so so inviting!!!
Prathima Rao
Prats Corner
my favorite..made perfect & mouthwatering!!
Ongoing Events of Erivum Puliyum @ Palakkad Chamayal-Fenugreek Leaves OR Green Chillies