Gobi Manchurian, a dry and crispy dish made with Cauliflower is so delicious that you will happily eat it even if you have never liked this vegetable before. The combination of the deep-fried cauliflower and the tasty sauce is what makes this dish so appealing. This is a popular menu item in most Indian restaurants and is usually had as an appetizer. It is a great option for vegetarians who do not eat meat.
Cauliflower is a common dish with most vegetarians. It is a good source of nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants. Here is a recipe that I make with cauliflower and potatoes. This post was loved by many folks. I usually resort to making this simple and easy dish whenever I get cauliflower from the groceries. Some other ways to use cauliflower in dishes is to add to fried rice, vegetarian biryanis, vegetarian gravies, or baked as a whole. Here is a recipe from a fellow blogger Cauliflower Tikka, that can be baked and air fried that I loved. Do check it out as well.
How to make Gobi Manchurian dry and crispy
Marinate the cauliflower in a batter of cornflour and all-purpose flour with a little salt. It is important that all the corners of the cauliflower get the batter and is well coated. Deep-fry the marinated cauliflowers in oil in small batches, so it does not overcrowd the pan . This also helps the heat to be maintained.
Add the deep-fried cauliflower bites to the spicy and delicious sauce, made with finely chopped ginger, garlic, green chilies, and green onions. Flavor with sauces like soy, red chili, and tomato ketchup. You can add green chili, and vinegar if you like but I skipped that. Make a slurry of cornflour and water and add it to the sauce mixture. This helps make a thicker coating of the sauce. Feel free to reduce or increase the level of spices to your liking. Finally, garnish with finely chopped green onions or coriander leaves.
Some folks like the gravy in this dish. In that case, you can just skip reducing the sauce after mixing the deep-fried cauliflower into the sauce. I prefer the dry version. For that, once the fried cauliflowers are coated with sauce, saute on high heat until dry and crispy. The Gobi Manchurian can be had by itself or as an accompaniment with fried rice or plain white rice. It is best eaten when it’s warm and crispy. Hope you enjoyed this recipe and will make it. Happy cooking!
Gobi Manchurian is a dry ,crispy and delicious appetizer with crispy cauliflower bites in a tasty sauce with garlic, ginger and green chillies.
- 1 cauliflower
- 5-6 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 5 tbsp maida or all-purpose flour
- 8 tbsp cornflour
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp garlic finely chopped
- 3 tbsp ginger finely chopped
- 4-5 green chillies finely chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup spring onions (scallions) finely chopped (Keep the upper halves for garnish)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp red chili sauce
- 1 tsp tomato sauce (ketchup)
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 cup water
Boil enough water with salt and add the cauliflowers and drain out when they are half -cooked.
Keep aside and add it to the batter in the next step.
Make a batter of all the ingredients in the "for fried cauliflower" section with just about enough water so the cauliflower is well coated.
Heat oil in a frying pan and deep fry the cauliflower on medium heat. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
In a Wok or frying pan heat up oil.
Add the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, lower halves of spring onionsnd green chillies.
Add salt to taste be careful not to add a lot.
Add all the sauces and black pepper and mix well.
Make a slurry of cornflour and water and add it into the sauce mixture.
Mix well and then add the fried cauliflower .
Coat the sauce well .Add a little water and mix well
Keep cooking till the sauces are well coated and dry.
Garnish with rest of the spring onions and coriander leaves.
54 Comments
Anonymous
December 7, 2020 at 6:08 pmWonderful!
InspiresNish
December 7, 2020 at 6:33 pmThank you so much!
Megala
December 8, 2020 at 4:15 amLove these gorgeous golden gobi manchurian, they looks so appetizing. I’m going to make them this evening itself and relish them along with my ginger tea. 🙂
InspiresNish
December 8, 2020 at 2:30 pmSo glad to hear that Megala , they are very delicious and hope you enjoy them with your evening tea ! Thank you so much .
Anna
December 8, 2020 at 6:24 pmLovely appetizer idea – these look delicious Nisha! 🙂
InspiresNish
December 8, 2020 at 7:49 pmThey are indeed very delicious, hope you will try them! Thank you so much for stopping by!
strawberryandcream
December 8, 2020 at 6:31 pmThese look so crunchy and yummy! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
InspiresNish
December 8, 2020 at 7:56 pmThey turned out really awesome, crunchy, and delicious and disappeared in no time 🙂 I would love to hear if you try it out. Thank you so much!
theresaly520
December 8, 2020 at 9:49 pmI’m salivating!😋 It looks delicious!!
InspiresNish
December 8, 2020 at 10:42 pmThank you so much for the lovely comment!
Su
December 8, 2020 at 10:13 pmOh my word! Cauliflower Tikka sound so delicious. I’m really hungry for Indian now. Thank you for the inspiration.
InspiresNish
December 8, 2020 at 10:39 pmThank you so much, it’s a really delicious appetizer with cauliflower indeed . My pleasure to share Su.
Jacqueline
December 9, 2020 at 6:36 pmThese cauliflower bites look and sound so so good! I love the flavours in the Manchurian sauce!
InspiresNish
December 9, 2020 at 8:56 pmThank you so much Jacque, the flavors of the sauce and the fried cauliflower really go well together!
Jean-Yves
December 9, 2020 at 8:44 pmOh your cauliflower tikka bites looks soooo gooood! I will have to give it a try.
InspiresNish
December 9, 2020 at 8:57 pmThank you so much Jean-Yves, it tastes really good. I would love to hear if you try this!
Lauren
December 10, 2020 at 2:06 amI love cauliflower, and I am constantly looking for new ways to incorporate this power food into my diet. I will definitely be adding this recipe to the list. Thank you for sharing this!
InspiresNish
December 10, 2020 at 5:02 pmMany Thanks Lauren, I am so glad you liked this recipe and am sure you will love this delicious dish!
Beth
December 10, 2020 at 2:25 amThis cauliflower dish looks so addictive! I don’t have a deep fryer so am going to try it in my air fryer – I can’t wait.
InspiresNish
December 10, 2020 at 5:04 pmThank you so much Beth ! It is very addictive indeed . I have not tried with air fryer but am sure it will be a healthier version 🙂
Bethan
December 10, 2020 at 12:57 pmI love gobi manchurian so much! I actually have half a head of cauliflower in the fridge at the moment, you’ve got me inspired to have a go at making my own!
InspiresNish
December 10, 2020 at 5:07 pmHow nice , I try and save some cauliflower as well to make this whenever I can . I am sure you will not be disappointed with this recipe! Thank you for stopping by .
Di Hickman
December 10, 2020 at 7:35 pmOoooh this sounds delicious! I love Gobi (and now I’m keto I can’t have my usual staple of Aloo Gobi), so this would be perfect alternative! Thanks!
InspiresNish
December 11, 2020 at 4:29 pmGlad to hear you love this and you found a great alternative in this dish! Happy cooking.
Komal
December 10, 2020 at 9:41 pmThis is my favorite Indo Chinese dish! Your recipe looks great!
InspiresNish
December 11, 2020 at 4:30 pmThank you so much Komal, it’s a favorite of ours as well .
Elizabeth Williams
December 10, 2020 at 10:06 pmNever heard of tried Gobi Manchuria before but it looks and sounds delicious. It would be a great appetiser. Going to try and recreate this recipe just hope mine looks this good.
InspiresNish
December 11, 2020 at 4:32 pmWonderful to hear you will try and recreate this. I am pretty sure you will enjoy making and relishing this dish!
Aarthi
December 10, 2020 at 11:09 pmHi Nisha, My favorite vegetarian appetizer , and you have made the manchurian so perfectly , the plate looks mouth watering. And for this cold weather , I can literally munch a bowl full, now you made crave for it, so I’m going to make these , thanks for the recipe !
InspiresNish
December 11, 2020 at 4:35 pmThank you so much Aarthi for your gracious comments! I did enjoy making this and it turned out really well. You are absolutely right about this dish being perfect for this cold weather 🙂 Hope you enjoy making and having as well. Have a wonderful weekend!
Indya | The Small Adventurer
December 11, 2020 at 1:32 amWow, I honestly can’t believe this is cauliflower! I’m fine with cauliflower whether it’s baked or boiled, but this looks DELICIOUS 😯 I’m definitely going to have to note this down for the future and give it a try!
InspiresNish
December 11, 2020 at 4:39 pmThank you for such a wonderful comment! This dish is worth the effort and so yum. I would be so happy to hear how it turns out!
LaRena
December 11, 2020 at 5:26 amA great sounding vegetarian appetizer. I have never had it before. Can’t wait to try it.
InspiresNish
December 11, 2020 at 4:40 pmMany Thanks, Larena! it sure is a wonderful vegetarian appetizer. Hope you will try it as well. Enjoy!
Denise
December 11, 2020 at 4:47 pmThis looks so good! I’ve been craving for cauliflower for some time now. Can I bake it instead of deep frying? At first glance, I thought it’s chicken poppers but surprised that it’s actually a vegetable which what I love most about this recipe plus cauliflower is one of my fave veggies!
InspiresNish
December 11, 2020 at 4:54 pmThank you so much, Denise! Although I haven’t tried baking this dish, am pretty sure it will turn out as good with a little broil, in the end, to make it crispy. I know what you mean about it looking like chicken poppers, it almost even tastes like chicken at times . So glad to know you can use this recipe for your favorite vegetable. Enjoy!
sunisanthosh
December 11, 2020 at 5:19 pmThis gobi manchuruan looks so tempting and pushing me to try, good share 😋
InspiresNish
December 11, 2020 at 8:34 pmThank you so much Suni, Happy cooking!
Mommy Sigrid
December 12, 2020 at 1:21 amI have never cooked cauliflower like this before! Thank you for sharing this, will try this, too. Bet the kids would like this! 🙂
InspiresNish
December 13, 2020 at 1:45 amHope you will try this recipe as well. My pleasure to share indeed. Yes the kids will absolutely love it for sure!
Britt
December 12, 2020 at 3:13 amThis looks incredible. I’ve made a much simpler recipe a few times for a BBQ cauliflower, but this looks like it would be taking that recipe and taking it to the next level. I’m going to have to show this to my husband so that we can work it into the meal rotation here are our house!
InspiresNish
December 12, 2020 at 3:17 pmThank you so much.Hope you enjoy this version of the recipe as well. It’s really worth the effort.
Neetha
December 14, 2020 at 7:53 pmSuch fantastic pics, having major cravings for the gobi manchurian.. Nisha this looks so so yummy !!
InspiresNish
December 15, 2020 at 3:38 pmThank you so much Neetha , they turned out really good . Hope you make it very soon as well! Enjoy .
Diane
December 16, 2020 at 6:21 amI just recently discovered air fryer cauliflower. The sauce you use sounds amazing!!!!
InspiresNish
December 16, 2020 at 3:09 pmAir fryer cauliflower sounds great Diane . Yes the sauce makes it taste even better. Thank you !
da-AL
December 19, 2020 at 10:16 amthis looks soooo delish!
InspiresNish
January 21, 2021 at 11:02 pmThank you so much for the comment , appreciate it!
Holly
January 20, 2021 at 10:47 pmNisha! You’ve done it again! As soon as I saw this recipe, I was practically drooling on the keyboard. Yum! My husband and I try to eat vegetarian as often as possible and we love broccoli and cauliflower. I can’t wait to try your recipe! It has been printed off and I will share it with as many people as possible.
You mentioned preferring the ‘dry’ version of this recipe and I think we’d agree. The browned crispiness just adds that little extra deliciousness to this dish. 🙂 Garlic and ginger add some potent health benefits too. In the colder months, this must be the perfect comfort food! I love that it’s a good way to get kids to eat healthier options as well. They’ll never know! 😉
Thanks for sharing yet another amazing recipe, my friend. We look forward to giving it a try in our home too! Sending my love to you. You’ve been missed! 😘
InspiresNish
January 21, 2021 at 10:58 pmThank you so much dear Holly for the wonderful comments! This cauliflower dish is really delicious and it almost tastes like chicken and just disappears in no time. It is true kids who normally are hesitant to eat it will just gulp it down with no complaints 🙂 Wonderful to hear that you will try this out. Although it may seem a little tedious to make, it sure is worth the effort! Please take care and hope to see your posts soon again.We miss you too.
Athira
February 10, 2021 at 10:10 amOne of my favorite
InspiresNish
February 10, 2021 at 4:32 pmThank you so much!
Athira
February 10, 2021 at 5:05 pmMost welcome
Supriya Kutty
April 15, 2021 at 3:51 pmI made this recipe for the guest I invited to my son’s birthday and they really loved it and also appreciated me a lot. I am so happy to come across this post of yours thank you so much for sharing.