Gobi Manchurian
By Mark HuxsollPublished on August 26, 2020
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Sauce
¼ cup ketchup 3 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic sauce 2 teaspoons lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving¾ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 3 garlic cloves, mincedCauliflower
1 cup water ⅔ cup cornstarch ⅔ cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 pound (1½-inch) cauliflower florets (4 cups)2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil for fryingBefore You Begin
A whole 2½-pound head of cauliflower should yield 1 pound of florets. You can also buy precut florets if available. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more.
Instructions
- Combine ketchup, water, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, lime juice, pepper, and cumin in bowl. Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add scallion whites, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1½ minutes. Stir in ketchup mixture and bring to simmer, scraping up any bits of ginger mixture from bottom of saucepan. Transfer sauce to clean large bowl.
- Whisk water, cornstarch, flour, salt, and baking powder in large bowl until smooth. Add cauliflower florets to batter and toss with rubber spatula to evenly coat; set aside.
- Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.
- Using tongs, add florets to hot oil 1 piece at a time. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent florets from sticking, until coating is firm and very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees.) Using spider skimmer, transfer florets to prepared sheet. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Add cauliflower and scallion greens to bowl with sauce and toss to combine. Transfer to platter and serve with lime wedges.
for the sauce
for the cauliflower
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Sauce
Cauliflower
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sauce
Cauliflower
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Sauce
Cauliflower
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Gobi Manchurian, a multinational dish with roots in Chinese immigrant communities in Kolkata, India, features cauliflower florets battered and fried until crisp and then served with or tossed in a flavorful, spicy sauce. In recent years the dish has proven popular in Indian restaurants across the United States for its powerful flavors and mix of crisp and soft textures. Fans love it as a side dish or shared snack. For our version (inspired by a visit to Asheville, N.C.'s Chai Pani), we coated cauliflower florets in a light batter (made of water, cornstarch, flour, baking powder, and salt) that was wonderfully crisp when fried. The fried cauliflower was able to stay crispy even after being dressed in a spicy, tangy sauce made from ketchup, chili-garlic sauce, garlic, ginger, scallions, and enough freshly squeezed lime juice to brighten the whole dish.
Before You Begin
A whole 2½-pound head of cauliflower should yield 1 pound of florets. You can also buy precut florets if available. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more.
Instructions
- Combine ketchup, water, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, lime juice, pepper, and cumin in bowl. Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add scallion whites, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1½ minutes. Stir in ketchup mixture and bring to simmer, scraping up any bits of ginger mixture from bottom of saucepan. Transfer sauce to clean large bowl.
- Whisk water, cornstarch, flour, salt, and baking powder in large bowl until smooth. Add cauliflower florets to batter and toss with rubber spatula to evenly coat; set aside.
- Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1½ inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 375 degrees.
- Using tongs, add florets to hot oil 1 piece at a time. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent florets from sticking, until coating is firm and very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. (Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees.) Using spider skimmer, transfer florets to prepared sheet. Let sit 5 minutes.
- Add cauliflower and scallion greens to bowl with sauce and toss to combine. Transfer to platter and serve with lime wedges.
for the sauce
for the cauliflower
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