Are you looking for a super-hit vegetarian recipe for Ramadan Iftar? I bet you won’t find anything better than Gobi Manchurian. This is one of the few vegetarian recipes that can compete with a non-veg dish in taste – Gobi Manchurian served in a bowl.
The first thing people often ask is that what is gobi? It is a cauliflower in Hindi/Urdu. Gobi Manchurian is made from cauliflower florets dipped in batter and deep-fried. The fried cauliflower is then tossed in a sweet-n-sour tomato sauce. The result is a juicy flavourful appetiser on the spicier side. This dish can be paired with fried rice, and can be served as a main course.
Sometimes people misunderstand Gobi Manchurian as a Chinese dish. But more accurately, it originated in the Chinese community living near Kolkata, India (source: Wikipedia). The dish was first introduced in Mumbai by a Nelson Wang, owner of a restaurant of Chinese descent there. Gobi Manchurian is a variant of its non-veg version of Chicken Manchurian. One marvels at how a humble cauliflower can be turned into such a delicious appetizer.
So it is indo-Chinese in origin, and is popular all over India, Pakistan and even Britain. The dish influences the traditional Manchu cuisine of neighbouring China and the taste resembles Chinese cuisine. (Manchurian or Manchu cuisine belongs to ancient Manchuria, a territory once located in parts of present-day China and Russia.)
Ingredients
For fried cauliflower
- 600 g cauliflower florets (1 medium cauliflower of 750 g cut to floret makes about 600 g)
- 6 tbsp flour
- 6 tbsp cornflour, or rice flour
- ¾ tbsp Kashmiri chilli, used mainly for colour, can substituted with paprika
- 1 tsp red chilli
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- Oil, to fry
For gravy
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- ? tsp cumin seeds
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped capsicum / bell peppers, any color
- 2 tbsp chopped green chillie
Sauces and seasoning for gravy
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp chilli garlic sauce
- 2-3 tbsp chilli sauce, less spicy type
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- ½ tbsp sugar
- Pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste if needed
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 4 tbsp water, more to thin out gravy as needed.
- ½ cup sliced green onions, for garnish
Instructions
Blanching cauliflower
Bring water to boil in a pot, then add salt and cauliflower floret. Let it boil for about 2-3 minutes, then remove florets with a slotted spoon to a kitchen towel and let it dry.
For fried cauliflower
In a bowl mix, plain flour, corn flour, Kashmiri chilli, red chilli, garlic, ginger and salt. Remove 3 tablespoons of flour mixture from the dry mix and set aside. Now gradually mix little water to the dry mixture and mix well with a whisk. Make a thick mixture of flowing consistency. Add the blanched florets to the batter and mix well. Now, sprinkle the separated flour over batter and mix again. Heat oil in a wok on medium-to-high heat. Then, one by one, add cauliflower florets. Fry cauliflower for two minutes on medium heat. Then remove on a kitchen towel and let it cool. (The cauliflower will be light golden at this stage.)
Make gravy
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and add garlic and cumin. Sauté for a 30-60 seconds until garlic is golden. Then, add onions, bell peppers and green chillies, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. Finally, mix in all the ingredients sauce section.
For slurry
In a bowl, mix corn and water to make slurry with no lumps. Add to the gravy. Also add ¼ cup or water as needed for a desired consistency. Let gravy simmer for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble
Just before serving reheat the gravy, set aside. Simultaneously, heat oil in the wok until very hot. Add fried cauliflower and fry for another 30 seconds. Work in 2-3 batches. Remove floured cauliflower from the oil to a kitchen towel. Then toss in the hot gravy. Coat throughly and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve immediately.
