Gobi manchurian

Treat friends or family to this popular Indo-Chinese starter where crispy cauliflower florets are tossed in a hot, sweet and sour sauce

  • Prep:25 mins
    Cook:25 mins
  • Serves 4
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 354
  • fat 16g
  • saturates 1g
  • carbs 40g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 9g
  • protein 9g
  • salt 4.14g

Ingredients

  • 1 cauliflower , cut into florets
  • neutral oil such as sunflower or vegetable , for frying
  • 2 garlic cloves , chopped
  • 1 green chilli , chopped
  • 1 red onion , diced
  • 2 spring onions , finely sliced, plus extra to serve
  • ½ red pepper , diced
  • ½ green pepper , diced
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 2 tbsp chilli sauce
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp ground black pepper
  • 100g plain flour
  • 20g cornflour
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

Method

  1. Cook the cauliflower florets in a large saucepan of boiling water for 8-10 mins, until tender, then drain in a colander and set aside.

  2. Mix all the batter ingredients together in a large bowl with 1 tsp salt, then slowly pour in 200ml water, stirring all the time to make a smooth batter thick enough to coat the cauliflower.

  3. Drop the florets into the batter and stir gently to coat. Pour enough oil into a large saucepan to half-fill the pan then put over a medium-high heat until it reaches 180C, or a cube of bread dropped in browns in 30 seconds. Fry the cauliflower florets in batches for about 6 mins until golden and crisp, then leave to drain in a colander.

  4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large wok over a low heat, then add the garlic, chopped chilli, red onion, spring onion, red and green peppers, and cook, stirring, for 2 mins.

  5. Stir in the ketchup, chilli sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chilli flakes, black pepper and 1 tsp each salt and pepper and heat through for 1 min. Toss the fried florets in the sauce to coat. Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with chopped spring onions, if you like.

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