Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indian-Chinese recipe of fried cauliflower florets tossed in a spicy, sweet & umami sauce. There are two ways to make this dish and you get the awesomeness of both in this post.

1. Crispy Gobi Manchurian Dry 
2. Gobi Manchurian Gravy (With Sauce) 

Both the recipes taste good. You can choose any recipe depending on whether you prefer a spicy crispy appetizer snack or the gravy recipe that can be served with a Chinese main course.

What is Gobi Manchurian

In Hindi ‘Gobi’ means Cauliflower and ‘Manchurian’ stands for the Manchurian sauce. In simple words, Gobi Manchurian means crispy batter coated fried cauliflower florets tossed in a sautéed onion, bell pepper (capsicum), ginger, garlic sauce.

In the sauce apart from onions and bell pepper, sauces like soy sauce, tomato ketchup and chilli sauces are also added. The result is a finger-licking and great tasting manchurian rich in flavors and taste.

As I have mentioned above there are two ways to make this recipe. The dry version can be had as a starter or appetizer snack. The gravy version can be served with steamed rice, vegetable fried rice or noodles.

Fairly easy to prepare, my recipes are not very spicy like the Indian restaurants or the street versions. If you want, you can add more of the ginger, garlic and green chilies and increase the spice and heat in the dish.

About this Dry Gobi Manchurian Recipe

1. Pan Fried: To cut down the fat, I have not deep fried the gobi florets. It does reduce the crispness, though. But as a healthier option, I have pan fried the gobi florets. If you prefer, you can deep fry the batter coated cauliflower florets for more crispiness.
2. Color: The gobi manchurian dry that we get outside has a good amount of red color added to the batter. Here, no artificial colors are added. To get an orangish color, you can increase the amount of Kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch. This will also add some heat and a smoky flavor.
3. No MSG or Ajinomoto: I never add Ajinomoto in any Indian-Chinese recipes that I make at home. If you prefer to get a street style taste, then you can add a pinch of it.
4. Soy sauce – Use naturally fermented soy sauce if possible. You can even use Bragg Liquid Aminos or Tamari. Do use a good quality soy sauce.
5. Serving Suggestions:  I serve this gobi manchurian with roti (Indian flat bread) as we prefer it this way. You can can even have this dish as a starter snack with a dipping sauce like schezwan sauce or even red chili garlic chutney or tomato ketchup goes. You can also wrap it in a thin roti or tortilla or naan or pita bread and top with some shredded carrots, cabbage and onions along with some sauce.

How to make Gobi Manchurian Dry

Preparation

1. Firstly chop or break the gobi (cauliflower) in medium size or small florets. Heat water with salt and boil it. Rinse the cauliflower florets and add them to the hot water. Cover and let the cauliflower florets get blanched in the water for 15 to 20 minutes. Later drain and keep aside.

2. In a bowl mix together the ingredients for making the batter – 1 cup all purpose flour, 4 tablespoon corn starch, ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder, ¼ to ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder,1 teaspoon soy sauce and salt as per taste.

3. Add 1 cup + 1 tablespoon water and whisk to make a smooth batter without any lumps.

4. Dip each cauliflower floret in the batter.

Pan Frying Cauliflower Florets

5. Fry the batter coated cauliflower florets in hot oil. I have pan fried and added about 6 tablespoons oil. Later I have not added any oil while stir-frying the spring onions etc. You can also deep fry or shallow fry. I have fried in batches of three. So depending on the size of your pan, you can fry at once or in batches. The frying does take some time, so patience is the key.

6. When one side gets cooked and crisp, turn over each florets and pan fry the uncooked sides. Flip for a couple of times more, so that the florets are evenly fried and light golden.

7. Drain the fried cauliflower florets on a kitchen paper towel.

Making Gobi Manchurian Dry

8. No need to add any oil again. In the same pan, add 3 teaspoons finely chopped ginger, 3 teaspoons finely chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chillies. Sauté for some seconds.

9. Then add the ¾ cup chopped spring onion whites (scallion whites) and ½ cup finely chopped capsicum (green bell pepper). Increase the flame and stir fry till the capsicum is half cooked or almost cooked.

10. Add 1.5 tablespoon light soy sauce or ½ to 1 tablespoon soy sauce you can also add as per your taste. Also add 1 tablespoon tomato sauce or add as required and ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper powder. Mix and stir.

11. Add the pan-fried cauliflower florets.

12. Mix very well ensuring that the spiced sauce coats the cauliflower florets well. Lastly, add 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or ½ teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar and stir well. Switch off the flame. Mix in the chopped spring onions greens or garnish with them while serving.

Serve Dry Gobi Manchurian as a snack or as a side dish with steamed rice or veg fried rice or schezwan fried rice or abbage fried rice or mushroom noodles or plain noodles.

Few more Indian snacks recipes for you!

This recipe post is from the archives and has been republished and updated on 23 May, 2020.

Gobi Manchurian with Sauce

This recipe of Cauliflower Manchurian Gravy (with sauce) is slightly healthy and super delicious to taste. You simply can’t stop eating it.

When I make veg fried rice or simple fried rice without any veggies, I prepare this gravy version.

A slightly healthy cauliflower manchurian gravy

1. Without Maida (All Purpose Flour) – For the batter, I have used whole wheat flour (atta). Instead of whole wheat flour, you can also use all-purpose flour (maida).
2. No Deep Frying – I have shallow-fried the cauliflower florets in just enough oil. However you can deep fry them if you want. Another healthier option would be to air fry them.
3. No MSG– In all the Chinese meals that I cook at home, I do not add msg (monosodium glutamate or ajinimoto). So is the case in this recipe. However, if you want you can add a pinch of it to get a restaurant-style taste.
4. Soy sauce – I always use naturally fermented soy sauce and recommend the same to my readers. Do use a good quality soy sauce.

Making this gobi manchurian gravy does take some time as the cauliflower florets need to be fried first. Then a spicy, umami and sour gravy is made to which the fried cauliflower florets are added.

Frying cauliflower takes time but making the sauce or gravy is easy and does not take much time.

Gobi manchurian gravy pairs very well with some steamed rice or noodles or fried rice. Also excellent with some roti or naan or khasta roti or tandoori roti.

How to make Gobi Manchurian Gravy

Blanching Cauliflower

1. Firstly chop or break 500 grams or 1 medium sized gobi or cauliflower in medium sized florets. You will need 3 cups chopped cauliflower florets. Rinse them very well.

2. Then in a bowl add enough hot boiling water.

3. Add the cauliflower to the hot water so that all the cauliflower florets are immersed in the water. Let them get blanched in the water for about 10 minutes. Later drain all the water and keep the blanched cauliflower aside.

4. When the cauliflower is blanching, you can prep the remaining ingredients like chopping ginger-garlic, chopping spring onions and getting the sauces ready.

Making Batter for Frying Cauliflower

5. In a bowl take ¾ cup whole wheat flour, 3 tablespoons cornflour or corn starch, 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, ½ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ tsp black pepper powder and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Also add salt as required. Instead of whole wheat flour, you can also use all-purpose flour.

6. Add ¾ cup water. if you have used all purpose flour (maida) then add about ½ to ⅔ cup water.

7. Whisk to a smooth batter.

8. Add the gobi florets in the batter. There should be no water in the gobi florets. So drain the gobi florets very well of all the water before adding them in the batter.

9. Mix well.

Shallow Frying Cauliflower

10. Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a pan or wok or kadai. When the oil becomes medium hot, coat the cauliflower florets well with the batter and add them in hot oil. Fry in batches. You can even deep fry gobi.

11. When one side becomes light golden and lightly crisp, then turn over each cauliflower floret. Make sure the oil is hot or else while frying the cauliflower florets may start to stick to each other due to the cornflour.

12. Turn them over a couple of times and fry till they are crisp and golden.

13. Fry the batter coated cauliflower florets in hot oil. You can either deep fry or shallow fry. Remove the fried cauliflower florets with a slotted spoon and keep them on kitchen paper towel. Continue to fry the cauliflower florets in batches this way.

Making Gobi Manchurian Gravy

14. When the gobi florets are frying, you can mix 1 tablespoon cornflour (corn starch) with 2 tablespoons water and place aside.

15. In the same pan, there will be some oil. So no need to add more oil. Add only if all oil has been used up while frying gobi. Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger, 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic and ½ to 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies.

16. Then add ½ cup chopped spring onions and 1 teaspoon finely chopped celery (optional). Celery can be skipped if you do not have it.

17. Stir fry on a medium flame till the onions turn translucent. When the onions turn translucent, then add 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup.

18. Add ½ tablespoon chili sauce (green or red). You can use either red chili sauce or green chili sauce.

19. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

20. Mix well.

21. Now add 1.5 cups water. You can add more or less water depending on the gravy consistency you want. For a thick gravy or sauce you can add 1 cup water.

22. Mix again.

23. Add ½ teaspoon black pepper powder.

24. Stir and let this mixture come to a boil.

25. Now stir the cornflour paste (as the cornflour settles down at the bottom) and add the cornflour paste in the pan.

26. As soon as you add corn starch paste, mix very well so that no lumps are formed.

27. Simmer for few minutes till the sauce thickens and the cornflour gets cooked. Its raw taste should go away.

28. Now add the fried cauliflower.

29. Mix the gravy well.

30. Season with salt as per taste. Do keep in mind that the tomato ketchup, soy sauce and chilli sauce already has salt in them. So add less salt.

31. Add ½ teaspoon sugar or add as required.

32. Add 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or regular vinegar to the gravy. Mix well.

33. Switch off the flame and add 2 tablespoon chopped spring onion greens.

34. Mix again.

35. Serve Gobi Manchurian Gravy. While serving you can garnish with a bit of spring onion greens. It goes well with steamed rice or veg noodles or fried rice or schezwan fried rice or hakka noodles. You can also serve it with flatbreads like chapati, parathas or bread or naan.