I saw Asama Khan’s recipe for Gobi Manchurian and I just knew I had to make my own version (find her recipe here). The first issue with this recipe for us is that batter on the cauliflower. It’s not gluten free but a crisp batter is incredibly important to make an authentic dish. I’ve pull together a tasty, gluten free batter that keeps your cauliflower crisp once dunked in the sauce. Unfortunately this can’t be baked, I did try but I’ve yet to find a baked version that I’m happy with. Kenny has pointed out that we eat perhaps a little more fried food than we should so I promise I’ll work on bringing you healthier food in the future!
Now, my recipe isn’t a truly authentic Gobi Manchurian – this is more a tribute. My version is little heavier on the garlic and ginger, while being a little lighter on the chilli than some recipes. I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think!
- Makes: Serves 3-4
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower:
- 1 Cauliflower (aprox 500g), cut into bitesize florets
- 95g Rice Flour
- 30g Cornflour
- 15g Potato Flour
- 25g Chickpea Flour
- 1/2 Tbsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne
- 1/4 tsp White Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Garlic Ginger Paste
- 250ml Ice Water
- Oil for cooking
For the Sauce:
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Oil
- 6 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 inches Ginger, minced
- 1 Green Chilli, finely diced
- 1/2 Large Onion, finely diced
- 1/2 Green Pepper, diced
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute
- 3 Tbsp Sriracha
- 2 Tbsp Ketchup
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne
- 1/2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar
- 2 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
- 125ml Stock or water
Directions
Putting the cauliflower to one side, whisk together the rest of the ingredients into a smooth, thin batter. Toss the cauliflower florets so they have a complete coating. Place a wok on a high heat and add 2 inches of oil. Bring up to 170 degrees and fry off the cauliflower in batches until only just starting to turn golden. Drain and place to one side to cool for at least 10 minutes. IF you’re meal prepping this can all be done ahead of time and brought out when you’re ready for it.
While the cauliflower cools, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a wide pan. When hot, add the garlic, ginger, green chilli, and onion. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion softens. Add the green pepper and continue to cook until the pepper has softened and the onion has just started to brown. Now add in the soy sauce, cayenne, sriracha, vinegar, ketchup, pepper, and sugar. Mix well, add the water and cook on a medium to low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
While the sauce finishes cooking, its time to do the second fry of the cauliflower, this will seal in the flavours and ensure it stays crispy once tossed in the sauce. Bring your oil up to 175 C and fry off the cauliflower in small batches until deep golden brown. Keep a close eye on the florets as they can burn quickly.
Once the sauce has thickened, taste and balance as needed. Much like a classic sweet and sour, this should be sweet while still tangy, but also this should have a good amount of heat. Toss the cauliflower in the sauce and serve immediately.
I topped mine with a little spring onion and sesame seeds as a garnish. It pairs well with rice or any Indian flatbread to balance out the heat.
Notes
As a quick preparation tip, I blitzed my ginger, garlic, onions and chilli together in a mini processor. Took less than minute for everything to be finely diced!
Allergy Notes; I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally contains little to no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. As always, check your brand to make sure you’ve not accidentally picked up one of the few brands which uses gluten. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you.
This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten free, nut free, and soy free (provided you use a soy sauce substitute like we do). Let me know if you need any help with substitutes!
