Baked Gobi Manchurian - Cauliflower Manchurian

In this lightened-up take on the Indian-Chinese restaurant-favorite Gobi Manchurian, cauliflower florets are baked up until crispy, then drenched in a sweet and spicy delicious manchurian sauce! Serve it as an appetizer or main dish. Gluten-free option.

I’m always excited when I can present you with an easy spin on a restaurant favorite and today I have a good one for you! One of those special-occasion restaurant menu items that we all love to order when eating out but never considered making at home. Cauliflower Manchurian! This makes a great addition to the festival menu!

What is Cauliflower Manchurian?

Gobi Manchurian, or Cauliflower Manchurian, is a super popular take-out and restaurant menu item. This Indo-Chinese dish is typically fried but I prefer to bake the florets in the oven. Baking gives cauliflower an amazing texture; you won’t miss the greasy, fried coating.

The crispy oven-baked florets are then tossed with a delicious sweet, spicy, and tangy Manchurian sauce! This easy vegan dish makes for the most delicious appetizer but it can also be served as a main when paired with rice.

The ingredient list for making cauliflower manchurian is on the longer side but don’t be intimidated by that. Most ingredients are pantry staples and the preparation is so easy so it’s so worth it!

Manchurian sauce is a very versatile sauce. You can add some Crisped tofu, veggie meatballs or vegan chicken to the sauce or add in some noodles.

MORE CAULIFLOWER RECIPES

More Indo Chinese dishes

Baked Gobi Manchurian (Cauliflower Manchurian)

In this lightened-up take on the Indian-Chinese restaurant favorite Gobi Manchurian, cauliflower florets are baked up until crispy and then drenched in a delicious sweet and spicy sauce! Serve it as an appetizer or main dish. Gluten-free option.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese, Indian-Chinese

Keyword: cauliflower manchurian recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 219kcal

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the cauliflower:

1 small head of cauliflower chopped into florets, 4 cups

For the batter:

7 tablespoons of flour such as rice flour or all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (30 g) of cornstarch or other starch such as tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/3-1/2 cup (120 ml) of water
1/4 cup (15 g) panko

For the Manchurian sauce:

2 teaspoons of oil
6-8 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 inch knob of ginger peeled and finely chopped
1/2 of a green or red chili seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red or white onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons chopped celery optional
1 tablespoon Asian Chili Sauce such as Sambal Oelek or other
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 teaspoons sugar or maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 cup (125 ml) of water

Instructions

Add all the dry ingredients for the batter in a bowl and mix well(flour, starch, garlic powder, salt, baking powder). Add the soy sauce, oil, and 1/3 cup water, and mix. Add water 1 tbsp at a time to make a thick smooth batter.
Add cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss to coat. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 415 F(210 C) for 25-28 minutes. Check if the cauliflower is done at 25 mins. Remove from the oven when done and set aside

For the sauce

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilis and stir. Cook until the garlic is golden ,2-3 minutes.
Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook until golden . 8 minutes.
Add in the sauces. The Asian chili sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, black pepper, and sugar and bring it to a boil.
Mix together corn starch in 1/2 cup of water then add it to the skillet. Cook until the sauce comes to a good boil and thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning. Adjusting the soy sauce for salt and heat with black pepper or Asian Chili Sauce.
Once thickened, add your baked cauliflower and toss to coat. Top with green onions and serve.

Notes

Baked manchurian is best served immediately. If planning to serve later as in not later than a few hours. Keep the Baked cauliflower and sauce separate. Heat the cauliflower in the oven again for 7-9 mins then toss in the warmed Sauce and serve
You can sub some of the cauliflower with firm tofu, rehydrated soy curls, or seitan for added protein.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Baked Gobi Manchurian (Cauliflower Manchurian)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 219
Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 784mg34%

Potassium 689mg20%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 186IU4%

Vitamin C 96mg116%

Calcium 90mg9%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Ingredients:

cauliflower – cut into same-size florets
batter: the dry ingredients are a mix of flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and garlic powder. The baking powder will help the cauliflowers crisp up in the oven.
batter: as wet ingredients, we use a blend of water, oil, and soy sauce
a small amount of panko makes these bake up extra crispy
sauce: we create a typical Manchurian sauce base by sauteeing onion, garlic, ginger and chili
finely chopped bell pepper and celery add some texture to the Manchurian sauce
for the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors, Asian chili sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, black pepper, and sugar
a cornstarch slurry will help thicken up the sauce slightly and add a glossy shine.

Tips:

Make sure that the florets are not too small and all the florets are of a similar size so it bakes evenly in the oven.
Lining the baking sheet with parchment paper will make it less messy!
You can sub some of the cauliflower with firm tofu, rehydrated soy curls, or seitan for added protein.

How to make Baked Gobi manchurian (step pics)

Add all the dry ingredients except for the panko and mix well.

Add the soy sauce,oil and 1/3 cup water, and mix. Then, add water 1 tbsp at a time to make a thick smooth batter.

Add cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle the panko over the cauliflower in the bowl once it has been coated. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 415 F for 25-28 minutes. Check if the cauliflower is done at 25 mins. Remove from the oven when done and set aside.

For the sauce, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilis and stir. Cook until the garlic is golden for 2-3 minutes. Now, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook until golden brown. 8 minutes.

Add in the sauces. The Asian chili sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, black pepper, and sugar and bring it to a boil.

Mix together corn starch in 1/2 cup of water then add it to the skillet. Cook until the sauce comes to a good boil and thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning. Adjusting the soy sauce and salt and heat with black pepper or Asian Chili Sauce.