Crispy Dry Gobi Manchurian 3 Ways

Restaurant-style Crispy Dry Gobi Manchurian is better than any take out. Showing you 3 ways to make it - fry, oven roast, and air fryer. Crispy cauliflower florets wok tossed in a lipsmackingly delicious sauce, are perfect to satisfy your cravings or party appetizer. Bonus tips on how to keep the cauliflower crunchy even after tossing in the sauce.

What is Gobi Manchurian?

Gobi Manchurian also known as Cauliflower Manchurian. It is an Indo-Chinese appetizer battered cauliflower, that’s fried until crispy brown and then coated with a thick sauce made with ginger, garlic, soy sauce and ketchup. It’s an absolute crowd pleaser. This recipe is Vegan and can be adapted to be gluten-free. More on it in the step-by step recipe.

There are two kinds of Gobi Manchurian. One is with gravy is served as a main course, pairings shared below. The dry version is served as an appetizer and that’s what today’s recipe is about.

A Taste of Home

Gobi Manchurian is my favorite Indo-Chinese snack. My sister and I always fought for the last piece. Now it’s one of my son’s favorites amongst the Indo-Chinese spread, and lately he has been requesting it a lot. After a lot of attempts and making lots of mistakes I can safely say, I have mastered the art of keeping the cauliflower crispy.

Step by Step Recipe to make Dry Gobi Manchurian

• Prep the Cauliflower -Cut the cauliflower into small 1 to 2 inch florets and coat with 2 tablespoon of corn starch.
• Prepare Corn Starch slurry - In a bowl mix ¼ cup of corn starch with ½ cup of water and keep aside.
• Prepare the batter - Make a thick batter by adding the corn starch, all purpose flour, ginger garlic paste, kashmiri red chili powder or paprika, ground pepper. Gradually add water to form a thick paste and coat the florets evenly with the batter.
• Prepare the sauce - by adding ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, corn starch and gradually add water. Mix the ingredients well and keep aside.
• Fry - Heat oil in a wok and fry small batches of florets on medium heat, so the floret is fully cooked.
• Stir Fry - Heat oil in a wok, add chopped ginger and garlic, green chilies, onions, and chopped colored peppers. Next stir the sauce once and then pour it into the wok. Stir continuously to make sure there are no lumps. Add the air fried florets into the sauce and coat them gently. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
• Oven Roast - If you don't have an air fryer and want to cook the florets in the oven. Preheat the oven on 400 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the battered cauliflower florets evenly allowing space in between. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until tender.
• Air Fryer - Preheat Air Fryer at at 375 F. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper and arrange the florets evenly with space between them. Cook for 12 - 15 minutes until tender.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Result	Expert Tip
Cutting cauliflower into big florets	Cauliflower swells when frying and not not crisp enough	Make sure to cut cauliflower into 1-2 inch florets, to ensure crisp florets. The smaller surface area coats more batter, making it crispy
Batter is runny	Does not coat on the cauliflower properly which will not yield crispy florets	Make sure batter is thick enough to coat florets
Florets not holding the batter	Florets are not crispy	Coat florets with corn starch before coating them with batter
Overcrowding pan when frying	Soggy and uneven florets	For crisp results, fry smaller batches to make sure the temperature of the oil doesn't drop
Sauce is too runny	Will not coat on the cauliflower properly and florets won't be crispy.	Make sure to cook the sauce until it thicken before adding the cauliflower
Delayed serving	Loss of crispiness	Make sure to serve immediately after tossing in the sauce.
Frying wet cauliflower	Oil splashes	Pat dry before coating the florets with cornstarch

How to serve

Our favorite way to enjoy Gobi Manchurian is to pair it with Vegetable Manchurian Gravy, Veg. Fried Rice, Hakka Noodles, or Jasmine Rice.

Make Ahead

If you want to meal-prep or make a large batch for a party, cook the cauliflower ahead of time either keep aside or refrigerate. However, they will lose some crispiness. So, reheat them in the air fryer, oven or shallow fry again to revive the texture.

I wouldn’t recommend prepping the sauce ahead of time, as it will thicken. It’s best made just before serving.

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