Gobi Manchurian | Cauliflower Manchurian | Gobhi Manchurian
Gobi Manchurian is an all-time favorite Indo-Chinese style street food. Using an air fryer to fry the cauliflower is a guilt-free way to indulge often.
If there is one recipe that my boys ask me to make over and over again, now it would be this Cauliflower Manchurian. It is so exciting to see that my boys share the same love as me.
Growing up and to this time, I love cauliflower manchurian. In fact, I have lost count of how often I have ordered it in restaurants and enjoyed it. Living in a different country, we don't get the opportunity to eat Gobhi Manchurian outside that often. So I started making it at home.
Trust me, these tastes are so much more delicious than the restaurant ones. The only thing that I worry about making often is the deep frying of the cauliflower florets. It is a high-calorie recipe when made the traditional way.
Can I use an Air Fryer to make Cauliflower Manchurian?
To solve the problem of deep frying the cauliflower florets, the air fryer came to the rescue. In fact, one of the recipes that I really wanted to try in my air fryer is this recipe. It turned out to be a super hit.
From now on I will be using my Air Fryer whenever I make Cauliflower fritters for this recipe. It was super simple, and it worked like a charm. Now I can eat this as often as I want without the guilt of deep frying.
This dish became very famous in India during my college days. Gobhi Manchurian is not only available as street food but also can be found on the menu of every restaurant.
I remember eating this with my friends at the roadside mobile shops. My mother would never let me stand outside the shop and eat, so I would mostly end up packing this home and then eating it at home.
How to serve Gobhi Manchurian -
The Manchurian can either be served as an appetizer/starter or as a side dish for the very famous Indo-Chinese Fried rice or Hakka noodles. If making it as an appetizer, the dish is generally a little dry. I have made it a little soggy (with gravy) to go with fried rice.
Half my cauliflower is gone by the time I am done frying it. My boys (including my husband) snack on the fritters as and when they come out of frying (or air frying).
So when I am making this for dinner, I have to make sure I have enough cauliflower on hand to make it as a dish. This is our usual weekend menu, and I make sure to have at least 2 heads of cauliflower.
Preparation time - 20 mins
Cooking time - 1 hr
Difficulty level - medium
Ingredients to make Gobi Manchurian - (serves 4)
- Cauliflower - 1 large head, cut into medium florets
- Bell pepper - 1 (chopped into 1-inch cubes)
- Onion - 1 (chopped into 1-inch cubes)
- Spring onion - 4 (chopped with the greens)
- Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
- Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp
- Red chili sauce - 1 tablespoon (adjust based on your spice level)
- Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp
- Vinegar - 1 tbsp
- Corn starch - 1 tablespoon (dissolved in about 4 tbsps of water)
- Toasted sesame oil - 1 tsp
- Olive oil or any other cooking oil - 2 tbsp
- Oil - for deep frying the cauliflower (skip if using an air fryer)
For the Gobi Manchurian batter
- All-purpose flour/Maida - ¼ cup
- Corn starch - 3 tbsp
- Red chili sauce - 2 tsp
- Salt - to taste
- Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
- Water - as needed to make a thick batter
Procedure to make Gobi Manchurian
- Boil water in a large pot with enough salt. Then turn off the flame and add the cauliflower florets to boiling water. Let the florets sit in the water for about 5 minutes, and then drain the cauliflowers in a colander and keep aside.
- In the meantime, mix all the ingredients listed under the batter and make a thick batter. Drop all the drained cauliflower florets into the batter and mix until they are coated well.
- Fry these florets in hot oil until golden brown and drain on a paper towel. Keep aside.
Using an Air fryer to fry the cauliflower florets -
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F for about 3 minutes.
- Then spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with oil (or brush with oil) and place the battered florets in a single layer.
- Let it air fry for about 12 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. If needed, brush the florets with some oil once in between. This is optional.
- Keep shaking the basket every 5 minutes for even frying and also to check. Depending on the size of the florets and the quantity, the frying time may vary.
Making the Gobhi Manchurian -
- In a large wok or pan, heat the sesame oil and the cooking oil on high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and half of the spring onions.
- Sauté until they are translucent.
- And then add the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute more.
- Then add the chopped bell peppers and sauté until slightly cooked. Make sure that the peppers still have a crunch in them.
- After that, add the soy sauce, chilli sauce, ketchup, and vinegar and mix well.
- When the sauces come to a boil, add the cornstarch dissolved in water.
- Mix well and let the sauce thicken. This takes about a minute or two.
- Then add the fried florets to the gravy and add the remaining spring onions.
- Finally, mix carefully without breaking the floret.
- Serve the Cauliflower Manchurian hot with fried rice!
Other Indo-Chinese Recipes
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Recipe
Gobi Manchurian
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Stove
- Large Pot
- wok
- Stove
Ingredients
- 1 large head Cauliflower 1 large head cut into medium florets
- 1 Bell pepper chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 1 Onion chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 4 Spring onion chopped with the greens
- 2 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Red chili sauce adjust based on your spice level
- 2 tablespoon Tomato ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Corn starch dissolved in about 4 tbsps of water
- 1 teaspoon Toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil or any other cooking oil
- Oil For deep frying the cauliflower. skip if using air fryer
For the batter -
- ¼ cup All purpose flour/Maida
- 3 tablespoon Corn starch
- 2 teaspoon Red chili sauce
- Salt To taste
- 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
- Water As needed to make a thick batter
Instructions
- Boil water in a large pot with enough salt. Turn off the flame and add the cauliflower florets into boiling water. Let the florets sit in the water for about 5 minutes and then drain the cauliflowers in a colander and keep aside.
- In the meantime, mix all the ingredients listed under batter and make a thick batter. Drop all the drained cauliflower florets into the batter and mix well to coat.
- Fry these florets in hot oil until golden brown and drain on paper towel. Keep aside.
Using an Air fryer to fry the cauliflower florets -
- Preheat the air fryer at 380 F for about 3 minutes.
- Then, spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with oil (or brush with oil) and place the battered florets in a single layer. Let it air fry for about 12 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Keep shaking the basket every 5 minutes for even frying and also to check. Depending on the size of the florets and the quantity, the frying time may vary.
Making the Manchurian -
- In a large wok or pan, heat the sesame oil and the cooking oil. Add the chopped onions, half of the spring onions and sauté until translucent.
- Then add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute more.
- Then add the chopped bell peppers and sauté until slightly cooked. Make sure that the peppers still have a crunch in them.
- Now add the soy sauce, chili sauce, ketchup and vinegar and mix well.
- Let the sauces come to a boil and then add the corn starch dissolved in water. Mix well and let the sauce thicken. This takes about a minute or two.
- Now add the fried florets to the gravy and add the remaining spring onions. Mix carefully without breaking the florets and serve the Gobi Manchurian hot with fried rice!
Hi! Sandhya:
Indo-Chinese Vegetable Fried Rice with Gobi Manchurian was a favorite dish growing up, and I am going to try both recipes. Your food photographs looks delicious. Thanks.
Thanks a lot Bina. This recipe does bring a lot of memories.
Hey Sandhya,I don't have air fryer can i bake in oven..I know can try but want to have healthy option so please tell wil it give the yummy crunchy flavour in oven ??if so please guide for temperature
One of our favourites Sandhya but I worry about deep frying. Love your air fried version. Guilt free dish. It looks delicious.
It is same story here in our home sandhya where everyone loves Gobi Manchurian and it will get finished in no time. Loved your idea of using air fryer and enjoy them guilt free. Looks absolutely scrumptious
This dish will always shine, we too love it at home. Now, I need to try it in air frier, I have never made it. Thanks for sharing Sandhya.
I love Gobi Manchurian. Yours looks so appetizing and fabulous. It's awesome that you provided air frying method too.
This is one Indo Chinese recipe which is still a hit at most of fast food eateries... I love the use of air fryer as it is a healthier version than the deep fried ones...
Gobi Manchurian is looking absolutely delicious and flavorful. Loved your details on using an air fryer to make a guilt free version of the dish.
Air Fried Gobhi Manchurian is a guilt free way to enjoy this delicious dish. I too recently started using air fryer, will try your recipe soon. Looks very inviting with fried rice!!
Gobi manchurian is my favourite too to an extent that it was the very first dish I tried to recreate at home during my college days. Air frier method is so easy and convenient to use. Most importantly I can munch on as much as I can without any guilt!
Geetha, Gobi Manchurian was so famous during our growing up times. Air fryer does make it much easier.
Hubby and I love to enjoy gobi Manchurian as a starter. Like yours as it has no artificial red colour, the colour is natural from the sauces and spices used.
Mayuri, I hate the red coloring too. Love this natural color with spices 🙂
I am a huge fan of Gobi Manchurian and am drooling here looking at your mouth watering photos!
Thanks Sandhya!
Cauliflower is the vegetable which is least liked by any kid but making it the way you presented can make cauliflower the favourite vegetable of children.
Thank you Shailender! It is quite the opposite in my house. My boys love cauliflower and I can't get enough to satisfy them.
Why can't vegetarians have fun the line is perfect as the gobi manchurian looks superb and lipsmacking paired with vegetable fried rice.
As you have made this in an air fryer, it is a low cal version too.
Very true! Thank you Lata.
We all LOVE manuchurian of any kind and my 12 yr can eat it every single day. Air frying the fritters is such a neat idea. I have to try this for my family - I am sure I'll be the 'BEST MOM' for that day 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.
If it is an all-time favorite, I've got to try it, that's for sure! Delicious looking recipe to enjoy Indo-Chinese food!
Thanks Danielle! It is very delicious and using an air fryer makes it so easy to make.
I have been looking for more ways to use my air fryer and this recipe is amazing! So much wonderful flavor.
Air fryer is a life saver for me. Love to make this Gobi manchurian in it.
Gosh I'm missing out. I've never heard of gobi manchurian - well before reading this anyway. I now feel I need to rectify this as soon as possible.
Choclette, it is a very delicious recipe and you will love it. Give it a try.
I am wondering why I haven’t ever thought of frying the cauliflower in an air fryer :(( . Thanks Sandhya ! This surely is a boon . Would love to enjoy this version of low cal manchurian , looks awesome !
Frying them in air fryer makes it so much better and guilt free, right? I also do the same. The platter looks very tempting.
This is a fantastic recipe Sandhya, making the cauliflower in air fryer...I am so J of the air fryer you know..hehehe..I am not sure if our market has a reliable one as available to you guys. It is surely one gadget I will want to get..Cauliflower manchurian is my kids' favorite too and we make it regularly for them. So using an air fryer will be great!