Gobi (Cauliflower) Manchurian (Dry)

Dry Gobi Manchurian, aka Cauliflower Manchurian is a tantalizing Indian Chinese appetizer and very different from the gravy version. The Cauliflower has a crispy coating and is tossed with a mouth-watering spicy sauce. It can be picked up with a toothpick or fork and enjoyed with cocktails or before a meal. Try this absolutely delicious recipe!

Ingredients:

Cauliflower – 1/2 medium, cut to bite-size florets
Oil – for deep frying

For the batter:

All-purpose Flour – 5 Tbsp
Corn Starch – 3 Tbsp
Salt – 1/4 tsp
Black Pepper – 1/4 tsp
Water – 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp

For the sauce:

Oil – 1 Tbsp
Onion – 1/2 medium, chopped finely
Green Chilies – to taste, cut diagonally
Garlic – 3 large cloves, chopped finely
Ketchup – 2 Tbsp
Red Chili Sauce – 2 Tbsp or to taste
Soy Sauce – 4 tsp or to taste
White Vinegar – 2 tsp
Water – 4 Tbsp
Corn Starch – 2 tsp
Green Onions – 2 stalks, cut diagonally for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a medium non-stick pan.
2. Add Onions, Green Chilies and Garlic and cook until Onions are light brown.
3. Add Ketchup and Red Chili Sauce and cook until Oil starts to separate from mixture.
4. Add Soy Sauce and Vinegar and mix well.
5. Mix 2 tsp Corn Starch with 4 Tbsp Water and add it to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until sauce starts to thicken.
6. Keep sauce aside.
7. To make batter, add All-purpose flour, Corn Starch, Salt, Black Pepper and Water to a small bowl. Mix until there are no lumps.
8. Coat Cauliflower pieces well with batter and deep fry until Cauliflower is a medium dark brown color.
9. Finish frying all of the Cauliflower and add it to the pan with the sauce. Toss well to coat Cauliflower completely.
10. Add Green Onions and toss again.
11. Serve immediately.

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How to make restaurant style gobi manchurian at home, the best cauliflower manchurian recipe, Indo chinese appetizer ideas, fancy appetizers.

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176 thoughts on “Gobi (Cauliflower) Manchurian (Dry)

  1. Thanks a ton!!!!!!!
    for the wonderful gobi manchurian recipe..
    I never thought making it at home would be so much easier.
    My husband said, ‘It tastes better than the restaurant’s ‘!! 🙂 🙂
    Love you both.. 🙂

    Thanks again..

  2. hi hetal,
    i want to make this receipe with wet gravy. will u pls let me know how to make it. can i make this same receipe with veg manchuria? iam just wondering what all the veg i have to use for veg manchuria?. u r receipes are very helpful to me. and they taste very good. thanks a lot for sharing these receipes with us.
    thanks
    smitha

  3. I bought All purpose flour from Kroger looking at the ingredients. But now I found from some of the comments that maida is required. Is the ‘All purpose’ flour same as maida? The flour packet says bleached wheat flour 🙁

  4. Hello to both of you.
    I tried your recipe for gobi manchurian and took the end result to a friend’s baby shower. I can’t it words express the glee and the praise they lauded me with for the wonderful outcome of your recipe. (I did share your site).
    Honestly, I am an absolute zero at cooking, so when I stumble at fantabulous recipes like the ones posted on your site, I can’t but thank you both so much !!!

    1. Thank you so much for your feedback (and for promoting ShowMeTheCurry.com) and we’re so glad everyone enjoyed the manchurian.

      Cheers!

  5. I love your recipes — they are really simple to follow and use the ingredients most commonly available in an Indian kitchen. The food always turns out wonderful. Thanks!

  6. Hi anuja and hetal,

    I tried this….and its awesome..I cant beleive I could do this…..your recipes are helping me a lot…

    thanks a ton!

  7. hi hetal n anuja……
    i tired veg manchurian with the same sauce u have mentioned and it turned out very yummy………thanx a lot!!!!!

  8. Hi Hetal,
    I want recipe with all mixed veg for manchurian..like cabbage carrot n beans..not only this cauliflower..can u pls post the recipe…i want to know the gravy recipe too with it…:)

  9. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    I love ur recipes since they are low cal and perfect to taste with the original recipe. I’m expecting guests over the weekend and planned for making gobi manchurian as an appetizer. Hopwever just wanted to know if there is any way that i can bake my cauliflower as frying it last minute witht he guests at home will be too messy. Also making the fritters in advance makes them soggy.. my past exp was bad with frying gobi in afternoon for a dinner.. they get really soft and soggy by dinner time.. can you suggest me a substitute where in i can prepare the meal in advance so that i dnt have to work in the kitchen when the guests arrive. Looking forward to a quick response..

    Thanks,
    Poonam

    1. Hi Poonam,

      Gobi manchurian is not the best appetizer if you’re going to have to make it ahead. Baking it just doesn’t give the right flavor/texture.

      You may want to consider the Sooji Dhokla. They are the perfect make-ahead appetizer (even the day before – just add the seasoning later). They go well with Coriander Chutney – also make ahead.

  10. Hi Hetal & Anuja,

    It was fascinating video to watch. I had just had one query before i really try the dish. Since i am in Japan sometimes we do not get fresh cauliflower here.

    Can we use the frozen variety for this dish. If yes, please explain what variation would be required.

    Thank you so much and keep up the good work.
    Abhi

    1. Hi Abhishek,

      We have never tried this recipe with frozen cauliflower, however, we did try it with canned baby corn. The problem we ran into was that the moisture from the corn released into the oil and it was a spluttering mess! (Fresh baby corn works great). We would imagine that frozen cauliflower would have the same type of moisture that the baby corn did and therefore would splutter in the oil.

      Again, this is just an educated guess so if you do try it out, we love to hear your feedback.

  11. Hello Hetal and Anuja,
    I cannot wait to try this recipe. I was wondering at what temp should the gobi be fried. I am afraid to make the oil too cool and get a greasy product.
    thanks and keep the recipes coming.
    Stephen
    Fl-USA.

    1. We don’t really measure the temperature of the oil, but here is a quick test. Drop a small droplet of batter into the hot oil and if it pops up immediately, the oil is ready. If it sits at the bottom of the pan, then you need to heat the oil some more.

  12. I HAVE TRIED LOTS OF YOUR RECEIPES.ALL TURN OUT REALLY GREAT.CAN YOU PLEASE SHOW MORE CHINESE RECEIPES,LIKE CHOW MEIN NOODLES,VEGETABLE FRIED RICE,ETC.
    THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND EASY RECEIPES.

  13. This dish is one of my favorites! I made it last night and my friend’s husband thought I had ordered takeout! He was very surprised to learn I made it at home. I used white rice vinegar because thats what I have at home and it still turned out well. Nice dish if you wanna impress your friends — easy to whip up in about 30 minutes. Way to make your guests feel special!

  14. Hi,

    Thanks I made this and it was delicious. But I wanted ti more crispy and mine turned ot a little bit soggy eventhough I used a very less amount of sauce. Not sure what went wrong 🙁 But the taste was so good.

    Geetha

  15. Hi Hetal, Anuja,

    loved this recipe. Can you also post the recipe for veg fried rice and noodles sometime.

    Deepali

  16. Thanks Aparna!

    The preparation is a little different for the gravy manchurian. We have it on our list to do so please look out for it.

    Thanks.

  17. Hi Anuja n Hetal….

    To be frank …i tried many recipes for gobi manchurian from many websites(ofcourse…before i found your website) and it all went really bad…But once i tried your recipe,it came out really well…I am so happy….Thank you so much for your recipe….Everyone liked it….

    Well….this recipe is for the dry GM….Can you please give the tips to make the gravy as well…Is it like add more quantity of all the ingredients for the sauce???
    Waiting for your response…. 🙂

  18. hi anuja & Hetal,

    first of all i want to say that u guys give an excellent demo and with exact measurements of various ingredients.i love ur recipes.however,the best recipes are gobi manchurian and aloo paratha..i really want to thank u for this.

    ps: can u show us how to make maharashtrian kanda poha recipe in future.

  19. I tried this reccipe before with another persons website and they came out to be like hard as rock and I threw it away and I tried your recipie this time and said to myself if it comes out bad I will never make this again ,but to my surprise it came out really delicious,and wanted to thank u guys for putting up so many good recipies out there,keep up the good work.

  20. Hey Anuja and Hetal ….. good job ….. perfect recipes …. simply love all of them, this is one of my favorite….. and they turn out better than expected.

    Thanks 🙂

  21. Hi Hatel n anuja,

    I am your regular visitor as well as die hard fan.Every recipe i try turns out great like gobhi manchurian.I dont think you remember but I met you in Diwali mela which was organised in Dallas only.

    Lots n lots of luv and keep up the good work
    🙂
    rakhee

  22. Hi Hetal and Anuja,
    I came across your website when I was looking for some Indian Chinese recipes and I think I will be a regular visitor from now on. I think you guys are great and should be on TV…I made the Gobi Manchurian as you had shown and it was excellent…My wife doesn’t eat anything spicy, so I am introducing her to spicy food one green chilli at a time…your other recipes would also be a great help…Thanks again…and if you guys take requests, I’d love to see your take on barbecue steak with an Indian twist…
    Sunny

  23. Hi Rakhee,

    Our chili sauce is called Sambal. It is a little different than Sriracha in texture and taste (more chii flakes and a little more tangy). If you cannot find it, then Sriracha will also work just fine. Let us know how it turns out!

  24. Hi Hetal n Anuja,

    You guys do a great job.Every recipe of yours I try comes out great. I am gonna try this one too but I have a question.. the hot chilli sauce which you mentioned is which one? The one I have is Spiracha hot chilli sauce ( some chinese one).Can I use that one?

  25. Hi Ann Maria,

    Corn starch is also known as cornflour in India. Green onion is also called spring onion. It is not celery.

  26. You guys are doing an awesome job !!!!
    Could you please tell the exact brand name of soya sauce – there are many in the market ?

    Thanks and May God bless you both for showing everybody how to cook !!

  27. Hi Rasna,

    I think soya bean sauce is a little different than soy sauce. It contains actual beans and is thicker – hence the term “soya bean meat”. It is not actually meat as in animal product. Soy sauce is as thin as water. Honestly, I have never used soya bean sauce so I am not aware of the taste difference. I’m glad the recipe worked for you anyway.

  28. hi hetal n anuja

    i have one doubt about soya sauce.i have brought
    soya been sauce which doesnt smell the one which v get in india. in the ingredients, soya been meat 46%. etc…

    does this mean that the soya been sauce contains meat, i mean to say nonveg sauce?

    is soya sauce similar to soya been sauce?
    i used this sauce in the gobi manchuri recipe. still it tasted awsome.

    pls let me know asap.

  29. hi!!!
    hetal & anuja,

    b4 knowing this recipe, i used to do gobi manchuri, i was always unsuccessful. it never tasted like the one v get in restaurents.

    i tried yday n it tasted awsome. i prepared one full gobi, n my husband had almost 3/4th of it n still he needs.

    thank q for a wonderful recipe.

  30. Hi Priya,
    Well, it just depends on the size of the mushrooms…if they are tiny button mushrooms and are about bite size, I would leave them whole and anything bigger, cut them to bite size and fry them.

  31. Hello Ladies!

    You mentioned about using other vegetables. When using mushroom, should we use whole mushroom and just dip it in the batter and fry the way, you did cauliflower?

  32. Hi Hetal and Anuja…
    I have introduced your site to many of my friends.. and i have also tried many of your recipes(which have come absolutely great).. But i must say Gobi manchurian was excellent.. and beyond words!!
    because first of all am not a great cook… and second of all i have not relished cauliflower much because i did not know how to use it.. My husband had been asking me to make Gobi manchurian for a long time and last friday i surprised him by giving it as a HOT Appetizer and tea!!

    Thanks a lot!!

  33. I love your website. It’s very well organized and the recipes are easy to follow. Thanks for doing a wonderful job. We really need people as dedicated as you, to teach us beginners how to cook great desi food.

  34. I tried gobi manchurian yesterday .it came out amazing in taste. i never thought it will be so good and it had the same taste which we get in good resturant.

  35. Anuja & Hetal,

    Such a great recipe! Even my 2 year old loved the crunch of the cauliflower 🙂 Thanks! Keep up your good work.

    ~Sunitha.

  36. Hi Vidhi,

    The ingredients for the sauce are a little different (no ketchup or chili sauce) but you could use it as is. Instead of adding just a little corn starch and water, you add in a lot of vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you are non-veg) and allow it to boil. Then you add in quite a bit more corn starch to thicken it into a gravy. Let us know how it comes out if you decide to try it.

  37. Hi Hetal and Anuja ,
    I tried gobi manchurian yesterday evening with tea..
    It came out awesome ..I never thought it will be so great in taste and it had the same flavour which we get in any good restaurant .

    My husband Amit was zapped 🙂

    I made it exactly the way you told..Thanks ..
    Your videos really help me as my mom is far away in india and i had done hardly any cooking there.
    Thanks again .

  38. Hi Anuja and Hetal

    If we want to make gobi manchurian with gravy can we use same recipie and add little extra water?

  39. Hi Anuja & Hetal,

    I tried this recipe & my mom just loved this.Now she has asked to prepare again.I never thoght it would be so easy.

    Thank you both for making it look so easy.

    May Jesus be with you in the good work you both do & go a long.

  40. Hi Sdzg,

    Yes, All Purpose Flour is Maida.

    Thanks for your feedback and please thank your friend from us!

    Happy Cooking!

      1. Hi Geeta,
        You can relace the Gobi with chicken but you will have to cook the chicken a little longer as it needs to cook all the way through…so lower heat for a little longer 🙂

  41. Hey hi

    Liked the video very much.Very well explained.But I just wanted to know the ingredient used for batter all purpose flour is it maida?Looking forward for your response.I am from india.My friend told me about your website I found it worthwhile watching the videos and learning to cook.Thanks a ton…keep going!

  42. i tried this the previous weekend and it came out absolutely wonderful…better than what i have had in hotels.and it doesnt take too long to make as well.

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