If you like buffalo cauliflower, you’re going to love this Gobi Manchurian air fryer recipe!
This is a popular item on Indian restaurant menus, but who says you can’t enjoy this delicious dish from the comfort of home?
While the flavors of Gobi Manchurian are layered and complex, making it doesn’t have to be. With a handful of ingredients and an air fryer, you can bang out this dish for a quick yet satisfying weekday lunch.
Here’s what you’ll need:
What is Gobi Manchurian?
Gobi Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese dish of fried cauliflower florets tossed through a sticky, sweet, tangy sauce.
This dish is fusion food at its finest. Combining Chinese cooking techniques with Indian flavors, this dish is said to have been invented in a restaurant in India by a chef looking to create something new for his customers.
Now, you can find Gobi Manchurian in the menus of most Indian restaurants around the globe!
Traditionally, the cauliflower florets are dipped in batter and deep-fried before being tossed in the Manchurian sauce.
This popular sauce is made by combining soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, ketchup, and sugar. It’s sweet, tangy, and a little spicy. Gobi Manchurian provides a perfect balance of flavors to excite your taste buds.
As a kid, I used to think that Gobi Manchurian was one of those fancy dishes that you could only have at a restaurant. Once I grew older and started experimenting in my kitchen, I discovered that this dish is actually pretty quick and easy to make at home!
Why make Gobi Manchurian in air fryer?
In addition to being quick and easy to make, using an air fryer makes this recipe pretty healthy as well.
While the traditional method of making this dish calls for deep-frying the cauliflower florets, you can use an air fryer to achieve a similar end result.
Using an air fryer allows you to make this dish with minimal oil. Plus, you don’t have to hang around the stove, babysitting the cauliflower florets as they fry. Just pop them into the air fryer, set the timer, and you can go about doing other things.
Related Posts
Ingredients for Gobi Manchurian air fryer recipe
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this street style Gobi Manchurian recipe:
1. Cauliflower
You can’t have Gobi Manchurian without cauliflower, of course! This recipe, that serves one, calls for ¼ head of cauliflower, cut into florets. If you’re making this for two or three people, double or triple the amount of cauliflower accordingly.
2. Flour
In this recipe, the batter for the cauliflower florets is made with a mix of all-purpose flour and cornstarch. This combination helps to produce crispy air-fried florets.
3. Chili powder
In addition to flour, the batter also includes chili powder for an added kick of spice. I like my food quite spicy, but if you prefer to tone down the spice, you can use less chili powder.
4. Condiments
This recipe uses a number of different condiments to get the Gobi Manchurian’s signature well-rounded, balanced flavor.
- Soy sauce for its salty, umami flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar for some acid and tanginess.
- Chili sauce for a little spice.
- Ketchup for its sweet notes.
These condiments are all quite different in taste, and when combined, they complement one another to create an explosion of flavor in your mouth.
5. Cornstarch slurry
This recipe uses a cornstarch slurry (a mixture of cornstarch and water) to thicken the Manchurian sauce. Gobi Manchurian is usually prepared by tossing deep-fried cauliflower florets in a thick, sticky sauce.
A cornstarch slurry is often used in Chinese cooking to thicken sauces or soups. This is one of the cooking techniques that have been adopted to produce this Indo-Chinese cuisine.
6. Spring onion
Indian dishes are often garnished with coriander leaves. However, this fusion dish is garnished with spring onion, an ingredient typically used in Chinese cooking.
A sprig of spring onion has two parts – the white part at the bottom, and the green part on top.
In this recipe, the white part is used as an aromatic, sautéed in hot oil, with ginger and garlic. The green top, on the other hand, is reserved for garnish.
How to make air fryer Gobi Manchurian
1. Preheat the air fryer.
Preheat the air fryer at 200C/390F for 5 minutes.
2. Combine the ingredients in a bowl.
In a bowl, combine the all-purpose flours, cornstarch, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Add water slowly and mix until the batter reaches a thick coating consistency.
Toss the cauliflower florets in the batter. Make sure each floret is well coated.
3. Air fry the cauliflower florets.
Grease the air fryer basket with an oil mister before arranging the florets inside, leaving a little gap between each of the pieces. Avoid any overlapping of cauliflower florets. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to do this in two batches.
Cook for 15 minutes, turning the florets halfway through.
4. Make the sauce.
Now, onto the sauce. While the cauliflower florets cook in the air fryer, heat oil in a non-stick pot on medium high before adding garlic, ginger, the white part of the spring onion, chili, and capsicum. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
Next, add soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
Mix water and cornstarch together in a cup to form a cornstarch slurry. Pour this mix into the sauce.
Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce is thick and sticky.
5. Add the cauliflower and garnish the air fryer Gobi Manchurian.
Toss the air-fried cauliflower florets through the sauce, and garnish with the green part of the spring onion. Serve hot with rice on the side.
More air fryer recipes
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Gobi Manchurian?
Gobi means cauliflower in Hindi. Gobi Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese dish of fried cauliflower florets tossed in a sweet, tangy, and spicy sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, and ketchup.
What does Manchurian taste like?
Manchurian is an Indo-Chinese preparation made by deep frying ingredients such as chicken, cauliflower, fish, and paneer, and then tossing them in a sauce flavored with soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, and ketchup.
Manchurian dishes provide the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy.
What is the difference between Gobi and Gobi Manchurian?
Gobi is the Hindi word for cauliflower. Gobi Manchurian, on the other hand, refers to a specific Indo-Chinese dish made with deep-fried cauliflower florets that are tossed in a sweet, tangy, and spicy sauce.
How long to air fry cauliflower?
Air fry your cauliflower florets at 200C/390F for 15 minutes, until they are golden brown. For crispy cauliflower, space out the florets in your air fryer and avoid any overlap. This ensures proper circulation of heat and helps your cauliflower crisp up.
What dishes can be made from cauliflower?
Cauliflower (gobi) is a nutritious and versatile vegetable. It can be used to make various dishes such as gobi 65, gobi Manchurian, aloo gobi, sambar (South Indian lentil stew), Chinese style mixed vegetables, and cauliflower steak.
Why is my Gobi Manchurian not crispy?
This could be due to excess moisture. Wet florets are likely to result in soggy and not crispy gobi. After washing, pat the florets dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture before frying.
How healthy is Gobi Manchurian?
While cauliflower is rich in vitamins and minerals, deep frying this vegetable sort of negates its nutritional benefits. Air fried Gobi Manchurian is a far healthier option that’s lower in calories and fat.
Gobi Manchurian Air Fryer Recipe
Equipment
- Air Fryer
Ingredients
For the cauliflower
- 1/4 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup water
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-inch ginger piece, minced
- 1 green chili, minced
- 1/4 green capsicum, diced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp chili sauce
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 sprig of spring onion, chopped (separate the white and green parts)
Instructions
For the cauliflower
- Preheat the air fryer at 200C/390F for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine the all-purpose flours, cornstarch, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add water slowly and mix until the batter reaches a thick coating consistency.
- Toss the cauliflower florets in the batter. Make sure each floret is well coated.
- Grease the air fryer basket with an oil mister before arranging the florets inside, leaving a little gap between each of the pieces. Avoid any overlapping of cauliflower florets. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to do this in two batches.
- Cook for 15 minutes, turning the florets halfway through.
For the sauce
- Now, onto the sauce. While the cauliflower florets cook in the air fryer, heat oil in a non-stick pot on medium high before adding garlic, ginger, the white part of the spring onion, chili, and capsicum. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Next, add soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, tomato sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Mix water and cornstarch together in a cup to form a cornstarch slurry. Pour this mix into the sauce.
- Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce is thick and sticky.
- Toss the air-fried cauliflower florets through the sauce, and garnish with the green part of the spring onion. Serve hot with rice.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a tasty vegetarian or vegan dish to add to your repertoire, this Gobi Manchurian air fryer recipe is a must-try!
Who says you need to go to a restaurant to enjoy this popular dish? Use your air fryer and recreate this delicious Gobi Manchurian recipe at home today.
If you’re new to air frying, here are some foolproof air fryer tips for beginners to help you get started!
