We Indians have had a long lived love affair with Chinese food. As a matter of fact, we knew about the Manchurian and noodles even before we knew pizzas and pastas. But then the the Chinese food we know is quite different from the authentic Chinese. It has been greatly adapted and tweaked to suit the Indian tastes. Even though I would like to indulge in the fusion Chinese food once in while, I really heart the Chinese food cooked in the authentic way. Unlike Indian cuisine, the Chinese use very little spices are used to flavour their dishes. Sauces like soya sauce and green chilli sauce and spices like pepper are used to spice their dishes. Who knew that a few tea spoons of the sauces and a pinch of spice can make the dish so delicious.
My favourite in the chinse cuisine has always been the Manchurian varieties. Manchurian dishes can be made either with cauliflower, mushrooms, Cottage cheese or chicken. In this variety of Manchurian, the cauliflower florets have a crispy coating and they are tossed in a mouth watering Manchurian sauce. The Manchurian is really easy to make at home and they are always a big hit with the guests. Serve them as appetizers or pair it with fried rice and serve as a side dish. I assure you it will taste just as wonderful.
Cauliflower Manchurian- Cauliflower florets in soya sauce gravy
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Crispy cauliflower florets are coated in a flavorful batter and tossed in a spicy, tangy Manchurian sauce, perfect as an appetizer or a side dish with fried rice.
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower, separated into florets
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped into cubes
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- 3 tbsp corn starch + 2 tbsp corn starch
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour or maida
- 1 green chili, chopped
- Salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp green chili sauce
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Oil, for frying
Instructions
- Wash the cauliflower florets and drain well.
- In a bowl, make a batter by mixing 3 tbsp of corn starch, all-purpose flour, chopped green chili, spring onion, and a little salt to taste. Add water gradually to form a smooth batter.
- Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Dip each cauliflower floret into the batter, ensuring it is well-coated, and then fry in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- In another pan, heat a little oil and sauté the chopped shallots and green bell pepper until they are slightly tender.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp of corn starch to the vegetable stock and mix well. Pour this mixture into the pan with the sautéed vegetables.
- Add the soy sauce, green chili sauce, and black pepper. Stir well and let the sauce thicken slightly.
- Toss the fried cauliflower florets in the sauce until they are well-coated.
- Garnish with additional chopped spring onions and serve hot.
Notes
If you want to increase the quantity of the gravy, then just increase the quantity of the vegetable stock by 1/2 a cup. Serve immediately for the best texture. You can substitute soy sauce with tamari for a gluten-free version.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Indian-Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 30
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 0
