Indo-Chinese food is very popular in India and you will find it everywhere from street hawkers to the poshest restaurants of the country. Mostly the Indo-Chinese dishes are Chinese dishes modified to suit the Indian palate. However, there are also some recipes that got originated in India but are made by using Chinese cooking techniques. Today’s recipe baked Gobi Manchurian is also a very tasty and easy to make Indo-Chinese dish. You can serve it in the main course and also enjoy it as an appetizer.
What is Manchurian?
Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese dish that was developed in Mumbai, India by an Indian restaurateur of Chinese descent- Nelson Wang. The initial version of Manchurian was small deep-fried balls made with finely chopped vegetables and chicken put in a sauce with Chinese flavors. Now you will find different vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian versions of Manchurian.
What goes in baked Gobi Manchurian?
To make baked gobi Manchurian the following ingredients will be needed:
How to make?
Making cauliflower Manchurian is very easy.
Prepare the batter: Put all-purpose flour, corn starch, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix. Add water and around ½ a tablespoon of oil and mix to make a lump free batter. The batter should neither be too runny nor too thick.Bake the cauliflower: Cut medium sized cauliflower florets. Dip them in the batter and mix until the batter gets evenly coated on the florets. Tap to get rid of extra batter and keep on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C (around 400°F) for around 25-30 minutes or until the cauliflower florets start turning brown.Prepare the sauce: Heat oil in a wok. Add onion, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, and the white part of spring onion. Saute until the onion turns translucent. Add spring onion greens and saute for about a minute. Add soy sauce, chili sauce, tomato paste, and vinegar. Mix everything and cook for about a minute.Add baked manchurian to the sauce: Once the sauce is ready, add baked cauliflower to the sauce. Mix everything until the sauce evenly coats the cauliflower florets. Cook for about a minute.Garnish: Garnish with chopped spring onion greens. Enjoy!
Step by step photo instructions
How to make gluten-free Manchurian?
To make gluten-free Manchurian use rice flour instead of all-purpose flour. Also, replace soy sauce with tamari.
How to make it spicier?
If you love spicy food, increase the quantity of chili sauce and chili peppers in the recipe. You can also add chili flakes to the sauce and in the batter too.
How to make cauliflower Manchurian with gravy?
Here I have shared the dry gobhi Manchurian recipe but it’s also made with gravy, especially, if getting served with fried rice in the main course. To make Gobi Manchurian with gravy add an extra cup of water to the sauce. Once it starts boiling add corn starch slurry to it and boil until the sauce starts to thicken. For corn starch slurry mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with about ¼ cup of water at room temperature. Mix until the slurry is lump-free before adding to the sauce.
What to serve with it?
Dry gobhi Manchurian can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish with any rice or noodle dish. Gobhi Manchurian with gravy is served in the main course with rice and noodles. Some of the dishes that can be served with it are:
Mushroom riceMushroom noodlesVegetable chowmeinVegetable Teriyaki NoodlesChili garlic noodles
Recipe tips and tricks
Don’t make the batter very thick otherwise, a thick flour coating will get formed over the cauliflower. It shouldn’t be too runny too otherwise the batter won’t get coated on the florets.For a sweeter sauce, add ½ a tablespoon of brown sugar to it.If you prefer spicier food, add chili flakes to the sauce.You can also saute finely chopped bell pepper with onion.You can make a similar dish with other ingredients like broccoli, tofu, and paneer.
Frequently asked questions
More vegan cauliflower recipes
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