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Home » Entrees » Gobi Manchurian {Vegan}

September 4, 2017

Gobi Manchurian {Vegan}

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Gobi Manchurian is a naturally vegan dish that features crispy, spicy cauliflower. I can’t get enough of the texture of this dish. This secret to this dish is air frying it after deep frying. This help to lock in the flavor of the sauce and develop an irresistible texture. All you need is basmati rice and some chopped cilantro and you have heaven in a bowl!

A bowl of Gobi Manchurian against a dark background. this Recipe

Although I’m glad to be back home in Boston, I’m still finding myself craving a lot of the food in LA: Veggie Grill, Mohawk Bend, Little Pine, Seabirds, Crossroads, Ramen Hood, Au Lac and Vegan Nirvana. There was so much variety out there, but still a lot to discover here in Boston and Cambridge!

A bowl Gobi Manchurian with rice and cilantro against a white background.

Table of Contents

  • Making Gobi Manchurian at home
  • Check out these recipes for more ways to use cauliflower!
  • Gobi Manchurian
    • Description
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions

Making Gobi Manchurian at home

I love recreating some of my favorite restaurant eats in my own kitchen, like these tacos, this Palak Paneer and crab cakes.. Most recently, I’ve been craving the Gobi Manchurian at Bombay Tandoori in Torrance. I loved it as leftovers the next day as much as I loved having it for dinner. So I took at stab at recreating this battered and spicy cauliflower dish at home.

A plate of Gobi Manchurian with utensils.

The results were not the same as what I got out. However, this was delicious and hit the spot! After a dunk in some batter, these cauliflower florets were tossed in a fiery sambal-laced sauce. Then I crisped them up even more around the edges in my air fryer.

Gobi Manchurian

If you don’t have an air fryer, this will still work! You’ll have crispy + spicy perfection that’s easy to put together if you do all of the prep beforehand.

Check out these recipes for more ways to use cauliflower!

Cauliflower and Mushroom Curry

Firecracker Cauliflower

The Best Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Buffalo Cauliflower Steaks {Air-Fried}

Vegan Chicken and Waffles with Sriracha-Maple Syrup

Gobi Manchurian
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A bowl Gobi Manchurian with rice and cilantro against a white background.

Gobi Manchurian


★★★★★

4.7 from 3 reviews

  • Author: erin wysocarski
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 2 servings
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This Gobi Manchurian is a naturally vegan dish that features crispy, spicy cauliflower. This recipe uses an air-fryer after deep frying to lock in the flavor of the sauce and develop an irresistible crispy texture. All you need is basmati rice and some chopped cilantro and you have heaven in a bowl!


Ingredients

for the sauce

  • 1 TB canola oil
  • 2 TB minced garlic
  • 2 TB minced ginger
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 2/3 cup vegetable broth, plus a little more if needed
  • 1/3 cup sambal (cut back to half or 1 TB for less spicy)

for the batter

  • 1/2 cup AP flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch, plus 1-4 TB extra
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 cup water

for the cauliflower + to serve

  • 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into small, bite-sized florets
  • plenty of canola, grapeseed or vegetable oil, for frying
  • 2 servings of prepared basmati rice
  • chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

to make the sauce

  1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add in the garlic and ginger and saute until softened but not browned (about 7 minutes) adding in splashes of the vegetable broth as needed.
  2. Add in the red onion and scallions, and stir to combine. Keep adding liquid to the pan as needed to allow the vegetables to soften, but not brown (10-15 minutes).
  3. By this time, the vegetables should be soft and most of the liquid absorbed. Remove from the heat and stir in the desired amount of sambal. Set aside.

to make the batter

  1. Combine all of the batter ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, except for the extra 4 TB cornstarch and water.
  2. Add in the water, stir gently, adding in extra cornstarch one tablespoon at a time as needed to obtain a smooth consistency. You want it thin enough to coat the cauliflower florets, but not so thin in drips too fast, or too thick that it doesn’t coat the florets evenly.

to prepare the cauliflower

  1. Place the florets into a large saucepan. Cover with water and place a lid over the top. Bring to a boil on the stovetop, then remove from the heat and drain. I transferred to a baking sheet with a cooling rack set inside to allow the cauliflower to drain and cool.
  2. Place several inches of oil into a small cast iron pot or deep fryer and heat to 325-350 degrees.
  3. Place several florets into the batter and carefully drop into the hot oil one at a time. Fry until golden, then transfer to paper towels with a skimmer to drain while you repeat the process with the rest of the florets. Don’t overcrowd the pot or your florets will stick to each other.
  4. Toss the fried florets into the prepared sauce, then place into an air fryer for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees, shaking every few minutes to avoid sticking. (You may need to do this in 2-4 batches depending on your airfryer size.)
  5. Serve immediately with prepared basmati rice and chopped cilantro.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Sautéed, Battered, Deep-Fried, Air-Fried
  • Cuisine: Indian, Chinese, Indo-Chinese

Keywords: gobi manchurian, cauliflower manchurian, best gobi manchurian recipe, vegan indo-chinese recipe

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @olivesfordinner on Instagram … we’d love to see it!

You may also like:

Creamy Pasta with Vegan Scallops
Easy Raw Kale Salad
Super-Versatile Crispy Tofu Cutlets
Sweet Potato and Kidney Bean Burritos

Filed Under: Entrees, Plant-Based Dinners, Top Posts Tagged With: cauliflower

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hannah says

    September 9, 2017 at 10:12 pm

    I’m so excited to have another great air fryer recipe! It’s such a fun toy. Tough to make good battered items though, so it’s smart to use a two-part frying process for the best results.

    Reply
  2. Mary R says

    September 14, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    A few years ago, Sam Sifton published a recipe for Manchurian Cauliflower in the New York Times, and his sauce was built around ketchup of all things. I tried it out of curiosity and was shocked when it tasted exactly how my local take-out’s gobi Manchurian did. Sifton’s batter wasn’t vegan (3 eggs, 2/3 cup cornstarch, and salt and pepper to taste), but the sauce is. He fried 2 cloves of minced garlic in a tablespoon of oil until fragrant, then added 1 cup of ketchup. When it began to bubble and caramelize, he added cayenne pepper pinch by pinch to taste, then tossed in the fried cauliflower. Simple as anything.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. Dunori says

    October 2, 2017 at 3:23 pm

    Looks fabulous. With cauliflower season here this would be fantastic to try out.

    ★★★★

    Reply
  4. Shanaz Rafiq says

    November 7, 2017 at 12:18 am

    I love the vibrant color and texture of this gobi manchurian

    Reply
  5. Donna says

    January 3, 2018 at 8:56 pm

    If you are still in Boston you can get awesome Gobi Manchurian at Walnut Grill in Newton Mass

    Reply
  6. Courtney Farmer says

    April 22, 2020 at 1:43 pm

    Loved the use of the air dryer- my husband and I both agree this is the highest and best use for a head of cauliflower. Better than take out in every way and totally satisfying. Thanks for sharing another fun and tasty recipe with us! Trying your carrot lox bagel and carrot lox sushi recipes this week. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Erin Wysocarski. Glad you’re here.

I create vegan recipes for those who love to cook and eat. My husband Jeff photographs them. We live in Boston with our rescue dog, Harper. More about Erin →

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