Baked Gobhi Manchurian is a delicious and very easy-to-make vegan Indo-Chinese recipe that can be served in the main course as well as enjoyed as an appetizer. It's a healthier version of regular Gobi Manchurian in which the cauliflower florets are deep-fried.
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Indo-Chinese food is very popular in India and you will find it everywhere from street hawkers to the poshest restaurants of the country.
Mostly the Indo-Chinese dishes are Chinese dishes modified to suit the Indian palate. However, there are also some recipes that got originated in India but are made by using Chinese cooking techniques.
Today's recipe baked Gobi Manchurian is also a very tasty and easy to make Indo-Chinese dish. You can serve it in the main course and also enjoy it as an appetizer.
Jump to:
- What is Manchurian?
- What goes in baked Gobi Manchurian?
- How to make?
- Step by step photo instructions
- How to make gluten-free Manchurian?
- How to make it spicier?
- How to make cauliflower Manchurian with gravy?
- What to serve with it?
- Recipe tips and tricks
- Frequently asked questions
- More vegan cauliflower recipes
- Recipe
What is Manchurian?
Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese dish that was developed in Mumbai, India by an Indian restaurateur of Chinese descent- Nelson Wang.
The initial version of Manchurian was small deep-fried balls made with finely chopped vegetables and chicken put in a sauce with Chinese flavors.
Now you will find different vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian versions of Manchurian.
What goes in baked Gobi Manchurian?
To make baked gobi Manchurian the following ingredients will be needed:
- Cauliflower florets. A similar recipe can be made using broccoli too.
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Green chili: Any hot variety of chili will do. To reduce the heat, remove the seeds.
- Onion: Any type of onion will do.
- Spring onion
- All purpose flour
- Corn starch
- Soy sauce
- Tomato paste: Tomato ketchup can also be used.
- Red chili sauce
- Vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable oil: A teaspoon of sesame oil can be used too. It gives a very nice nutty flavour to the Chinese dishes.
- Water: Vegetable or mushroom stock can also be added for extra flavour.
How to make?
Making cauliflower Manchurian is very easy.
- Prepare the batter: Put all-purpose flour, corn starch, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and mix. Add water and around ½ a tablespoon of oil and mix to make a lump free batter. The batter should neither be too runny nor too thick.
- Bake the cauliflower: Cut medium sized cauliflower florets. Dip them in the batter and mix until the batter gets evenly coated on the florets. Tap to get rid of extra batter and keep on a baking tray lined with a baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C (around 400°F) for around 25-30 minutes or until the cauliflower florets start turning brown.
- Prepare the sauce: Heat oil in a wok. Add onion, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, and the white part of spring onion. Saute until the onion turns translucent. Add spring onion greens and saute for about a minute. Add soy sauce, chili sauce, tomato paste, and vinegar. Mix everything and cook for about a minute.
- Add baked manchurian to the sauce: Once the sauce is ready, add baked cauliflower to the sauce. Mix everything until the sauce evenly coats the cauliflower florets. Cook for about a minute.
- Garnish: Garnish with chopped spring onion greens. Enjoy!
Step by step photo instructions
How to make gluten-free Manchurian?
To make gluten-free Manchurian use rice flour instead of all-purpose flour. Also, replace soy sauce with tamari.
How to make it spicier?
If you love spicy food, increase the quantity of chili sauce and chili peppers in the recipe. You can also add chili flakes to the sauce and in the batter too.
How to make cauliflower Manchurian with gravy?
Here I have shared the dry gobhi Manchurian recipe but it's also made with gravy, especially, if getting served with fried rice in the main course.
To make Gobi Manchurian with gravy add an extra cup of water to the sauce. Once it starts boiling add corn starch slurry to it and boil until the sauce starts to thicken.
For corn starch slurry mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with about ¼ cup of water at room temperature. Mix until the slurry is lump-free before adding to the sauce.
What to serve with it?
Dry gobhi Manchurian can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish with any rice or noodle dish.
Gobhi Manchurian with gravy is served in the main course with rice and noodles.
Some of the dishes that can be served with it are:
Recipe tips and tricks
- Don't make the batter very thick otherwise, a thick flour coating will get formed over the cauliflower. It shouldn't be too runny too otherwise the batter won't get coated on the florets.
- For a sweeter sauce, add ½ a tablespoon of brown sugar to it.
- If you prefer spicier food, add chili flakes to the sauce.
- You can also saute finely chopped bell pepper with onion.
- You can make a similar dish with other ingredients like broccoli, tofu, and paneer.
Frequently asked questions
No, Manchurian is not from Manchuria and the name is misleading. It's an Indo-Chinese dish that got developed in India by an Indian restaurateur of Chinese descent.
Yes, this Gobhi Manchurian is suitable to be consumed by vegans and vegetarians. However, if you order it in a restaurant make sure to check if it's vegan or not.
More vegan cauliflower recipes
Looking for more vegan cauliflower recipes from around the world? Don't miss checking the following links:
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Recipe
Baked gobhi manchurian
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 stalks of spring onion keep white and green part separated
- 3 large garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger piece finely chopped
- 1 green chili pepper finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ tablespoon vinegar
- 2 teaspoons red chili sauce adjust as per taste
- 1+½ tablespoons vegetable oil/ any neutral flavored oil
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- ½ cup water
- Salt as per taste
- Ground black pepper as per taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl put all-purpose flour, corn starch, salt, and pepper. Mix everything. Add water and around ½ a tablespoon of oil, mix to make a lump free batter.
- Add cauliflower florets to the batter and mix everything until the batter evenly coats the florets.
- Take florets one by one, gently tap to remove excess batter, and place on a baking tray covered with a baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C (around 400°F) for around 25-30 minutes or until the cauliflower florets start turning brown.
- While the cauliflower florets are getting baked, heat oil in a wok. Add onion, ginger, garlic, chili pepper, and white part of spring onion. Saute until the onion turns translucent.
- Add spring onion greens and saute for about a minute.
- Add soy sauce, chili sauce, tomato paste, and vinegar. Mix everything and cook for about a minute.
- Finally, add baked cauliflower florets and mix until the sauce evenly coats all the florets. Cook for about a minute.
- Garnish with chopped spring onion. Enjoy as an appetizer or in the main course with some rice or noodles.
Notes
- Don't make very thick batter otherwise, a thick flour coating will get formed over the cauliflower. It shouldn't be too runny too otherwise the batter won't get coated on the florets.
- For a sweeter sauce, add ½ a tablespoon of brown sugar to it.
- If you prefer spicier food, add chili flakes to the sauce.
- You can also saute finely chopped bell pepper with onion.
- You can make a similar dish with other ingredients like broccoli, tofu, and paneer.
Would love to try the recipe. Thanks for sharing ❤️
Thank you.
The Baked version of gobi sounded awesome. Then I made it tonight it came out so good!
Thank you Uma 🙂
My dad is a crazy fan of cauliflower, he doesn't miss any opportunity to bring a couple of them any time. We made this baked version and it tasted so delicious. Thanks for this step by step recipe.
Thanks Hayley 🙂
While I am partial to mushroom Manchurian, hubby loves gobhi Manchurian. What a wonderful idea to bake the cauliflower florets to make this delicious and tasty Gobhi Manchurian.
Thank you :). I also love mushroom manchurian.
This gobhi manchurian does not look not fried at all. I am sure my husband will love the recipe. Thanks for step by step instructions it makes it so easy to cook!
Thanks Avin 🙂
I love how you have taken the traditional deep fried recipe and made it into a healthy one. Loved the texture of the gobi after they came put of the oven. I will be making it this way from now on.
Thank you 🙂
Wow, this baked gobi manchurian was just amazing. I made this for my Indo-Chinese food loving son and he loved it. Thank you for sharing this guilt-free recipe.
Thank you 🙂
What a lovely version of Gobi Manchurian. Beautifully explained stepwise recipe of this healthy appetizer.
Thank you Amrita 🙂