GOBI MANCHURIAN RECIPE |
Gobi Manchurian/Cauliflower Manchurian is a recipe adapted from Chinese Cuisine but prepared more or less to suit an Indian Palate and taste buds. Addition of Sauces and seasonings gives this dish a new dimension. Cauliflower florets are first dipped in a batter with mild seasoning and then deep fried to perfection. Then these deep fried Cauliflower florets are sauteed with Onions, Garlic, Bell Peppers and served in a thick and saucy base. There are two versions of the same dish. One is a dry version and another with a thick gravy.
This dish has invaded almost all restaurants in the name of Chinese food in India. Almost all Indo-Chinese recipes are believed to have originated from India. Despite its popularity around India and being an epitome of Chinese food, the dish is virtually unknown in China.
Maybe it is a version more or less similar to or adapted from General Tso's Chicken/Kung Pao Chicken/Sweet & Sour Chicken. Mostly prepared with Chicken and for a vegetarian twist comes Cauliflower/Mushrooms/Paneer for rescue. A country with quite a number of Vegetarian foodies came along the demand for such recipes with a twist. Even we can see some South Indian restaurants serving Chilli Idli, Idli Manchurians, Chilli Parotta and Parotta Manchurian - Oh! we eat enough of them 'in the name of Chinese Cooking'.
While pondering through Google, searching for the origin of the dish, I found few noteworthy and all the more hilarious post-Apna Bharatiya Chinese Dish - ABCD, by Rashmi Bansal about Chinese food served in Udipi Hotels as 'Udipi Chainis'. Vir Sanghvi found a new phrase to this Indo Chinese cooking as Sino Ludhianvi to describe his Punjabi-Chinese fusion food while writing in his Rude Food Column.
Cuisine : Indo-Chinese
Course : Side Dish
Spice Level : Low- Medium
Difficulty : Medium
Serves : 3-4
Author : SM
Preparation Time - 10 - 15 Minutes
Cooking Time - 10 -15 Minutes
INGREDIENTS :
For the Marinade :
Cauliflower - 1 Medium
All Purpose Flour - 1/2 Cup
Corn Flour - 1 Tbspn
White Pepper - 1/2 Tspn
All Purpose Flour - 1/2 Cup
Corn Flour - 1 Tbspn
White Pepper - 1/2 Tspn
Light Soy-Sauce - 1 Tspn
Salt - to Taste
For Manchurian :
Onion - 1 No.
Dried Red Chillies - 2 Nos.
Green Chilies - 2 No.
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 3 Tbspn
Green Chilies - 2 No.
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 3 Tbspn
Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum - 1/2 No.
Spring Onions - Few
Spring Onions - Few
Light Soy-Sauce -2 Tbspn
Tomato Ketchup - 2 Tbspn
Tomato Ketchup - 2 Tbspn
Red Chilli Sauce - 1 Tbspn
Oil - For Deep Frying
Oil - For Deep Frying
METHOD :
- Cut the Cauliflower into big florets.
- Make a smooth paste with All-purpose Flour, Corn Flour, White Pepper Powder, Light Soy-Sauce & Salt (It should be without lumps and in dripping consistency).
- Marinate the Cauliflower florets in the batter for 10 Minutes.
- Grind Ginger and Garlic into a fine paste & keep it aside.
- Heat oil in a Pan.
- Once the oil is hot reduce the flame to medium and deep fry the batter coated Cauliflower florets until they turn into golden brown colour.
- Fry in small batches, otherwise they may stick to each other.
- Line up the fried Cauliflower florets on a Paper Towel.
- Heat few teaspoons of Oil in a Pan, saute Onions, Dried Red Chillies and finely chopped Green Chillies until they turn translucent.
- Add Ginger-Garlic paste and fry until it turns fragrant.
- Lower the flame and pour in the sauces and give a quick stir.
- Increase the flame to high, add fried Cauliflower florets, chopped Bell Peppers along with a dash of Salt and Sugar.
- Gently mix until the sauces coat every floret.
- Garnish it with finely chopped Spring Onions.
- Serve Gobi Manchurian hot.
NOTES :
- Instead of marinating the florets in the batter for 10 minutes, can directly dip them in batter and fry them immediately too.
- Adjust the number of Dry Red Chillies and Green Chillies to suit your spice level.
- Can add a pinch of MSG(Aji-no-moto) if preferred.
For Gobi Manchurian Gravy :
- Follow the instruction as above until the florets are well coated with the sauces.
- Meanwhile, mix 1 Tbspn of Cornflour in Ice-cold water without lumps.
- Pour the Cornflour mix over the Florets and stir continuously in quick movements until the mixture boils and the gravy turns thick and shiny.
- Care should be taken not to break the florets.
- Sprinkle Spring Onions once the gravy is ready.
- Serve Hot.