Name: Gobi Manchurian (Dry)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 200 g Cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets, blanched and dried; 2⅔ tbsp All-Purpose Flour, maida; 2 tbsp Corn Flour, for batter; ⅓ tsp Ground Black Pepper; ½ tsp Salt, divided; ⅓ cup Water, ice cold, adjust for batter; as needed Cooking Oil, for deep frying; 1 tbsp Garlic, finely minced; ⅔ tsp Ginger, finely minced; 1⅓ Green Chili Pepper, finely chopped; ⅔ Onion, finely chopped; 1⅓ tbsp Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped; 1 tbsp Soy Sauce, dark; ⅔ tbsp Red Chilli Sauce; ⅔ tbsp Tomato Ketchup; ⅔ tsp Vinegar; 1⅓ tbsp Spring Onion Greens, chopped

55 mintotal

40 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Make the batter: in a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour (maida), cornflour, black pepper and some of the salt. Add ice-cold water a little at a time, whisking well, to get a smooth batter thick enough to cling to the cauliflower without sliding off.
Dip the blanched, thoroughly dried cauliflower florets into the batter. Toss them gently but thoroughly so every crevice is coated.
Heat frying oil to medium-high in a deep kadhai. Add the coated florets one at a time. Fry for 6-7 minutes until the outside is firm, crisp and dark golden brown. Lift onto absorbent paper.
6–7 min
Make the Manchurian glaze: heat a little oil in a wide wok over high heat. Flash-fry the crushed garlic, ginger and green chillies, tossing quickly for about 10 seconds to bring out the aroma.
10 sec
Introduce the micro-diced onions and capsicum. Enforce an aggressive, high-heat stir-fry for exactly 60 seconds to blister the exterior while fiercely protecting their internal cellular crunch.
1 min
Temper the heat input. Swiftly blast the dark soy sauce, red chilli emulsion, tomato ketchup, vinegar, and a conservative pinch of salt into the wok. Force a rapid homogenization.
Stir continuously over low heat for 30 seconds. The sauce should reduce to a thick, glossy, sticky glaze. If the sauces you started with are already thick, you will not need any extra cornflour slurry for this dry version.
30 sec
Turn off the heat first. Only then add the crisp fried gobi and fresh spring onions to the wok.
Toss quickly and firmly so the dark, sticky Manchurian glaze coats every side of the crisp florets.
Service must occur instantly, while the structure emits aggressive steam.

How to tell it's done

A deeply savoury, near-black, sticky, mirror-glossy glaze over a firm crunchy shell, with a soft, gently sweet cauliflower centre inside.

Getting it right

Tip

Chef's Tip: The secret to keeping the crunch in a dry Manchurian is to turn the heat off completely before the fried gobi goes in. Let it boil in the sauce and it takes up water at once, and the crust is gone.

What to serve it with

A fixture of the Indian-Chinese canon. Serve it straight away with wooden picks as a starter on its own, or next to Hakka noodles for the contrast in texture.

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