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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Air Fryer / Air Fryer Gobi Manchurian

    Air Fryer Gobi Manchurian

    Modified: Mar 1, 2023 · Published by Alpa Jain · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indo-Chinese dish. It is vegan, gluten-free, and served with rice or noodles. Check out this easy recipe to make dry gobi Manchurian in the air fryer for parties and potlucks.
    Cauliflower Manchurian served with rice.

    Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indo-Chinese dish served with a variety of Asian accompaniments like fried rice, hakka noodles, lo mein, plain rice, spring rolls, and more. It can be made either dry or dipped in gravy while serving.

    Although Gobi Manchurian is made by deep frying the cauliflower florets coated in a batter, you can make them in a healthy manner and enjoy them guilt-free.

    This is an easy air fryer gobi Manchurian recipe which is served dry. It is vegan, and gluten-free, and can be served as an appetizer, side dish, or for a main meal.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • Related
    • Pairing
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    Gobi Manchurian is made with cauliflower florets coated in a batter made with all-purpose flour, cornstarch, red chili powder, and salt. Some oil is used for air frying it. If you deep fry it then you will need more oil to fry it in a wok or a pan.

    The dry gravy is made with onions, ginger, garlic, green onions, soy sauce, red chili sauce, and a cornstarch slurry made with cornstarch and water. To make it spicier, you can add some serrano peppers.

    Cauliflower Manchurian served in a bowl.

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    Instructions

    Making gobi Manchurian at home might sound daunting however, it is quite easy. The first step is to make the batter and fry the cauliflower florets by coating them with the batter. Then they are mixed in gravy and garnished with green onions.

    To make the batter, mix the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, and red chili powder in a bowl. Slowly add water and stir it into a batter of thick but dropping consistency. Use a whisk to mix the batter and make it lump-free.

    Cauliflower Manchurian batter ingredients.

    Cauliflower Manchurian batter mix.

    Mix the cauliflower florets in the batter and coat them well with the help of a spoon. Preheat the air fryer to a temperature of 390°F. Place the florets in the air fryer basket after spraying the basket with some oil.

    Cook the florets in the air fryer for about 10 minutes. After about 5-6 minutes, spray some oil on the florets with the help of an oil sprayer and continue to air fry for the remaining time.

    Now open the air fryer basket and shake the florets well by shaking the basket. Cook for another 2 minutes or more at 390°F. Air-fried cauliflower florets are now ready, you can insert a fork in one of the florets and check for doneness and crispy cauliflower florets are ready.

    Coated cauliflower florets in air fryer basket.

    Cauliflower florets air fryed.

    While the florets are cooking in the air fryer, you can make the Manchurian gravy on the stovetop in a skillet or saucepan. Heat the skillet and add some oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions, ginger, garlic, serrano pepper, and scallion whites.

    Saute for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the soy sauce, red chili sauce, optionally some tomato ketchup, salt, and sugar, and mix well.

    Cauliflower Manchurian gravy ingredients.

    Sauteed cauliflower manchurian gravy ingredients.

    Since we are making the dry gobi Manchurian, add little water and let the gravy come to a boil. In the meantime prepare cornstarch slurry by mixing some cornstarch with water. Add it spoon by spoon into the gravy until it is thick and has the desired consistency.

    Adjust the flavor by adding more Manchurian sauces, salt, or black pepper. Finally, add the cauliflower florets and coat them well with the gravy. Garnish it with some scallion greens.

    Cauliflower Manchurian gravy.

    Cauliflower Manchurian garnished with green onions.

    Substitutions

    Gobi Manchurian is delicious and easy to make. You can make a few substitutions if you don't have all the ingredients.

    • Tamari sauce - instead of soy sauce, you can use tamari sauce to make it gluten-free.
    • Rice flour - instead of cornstarch, you can use rice flour to make the batter.

    Variations

    This vegan and gluten-free gobi Manchurian is a perfect appetizer and side dish. You can also adapt the recipe to your liking.

    • Deep fry - instead of the air fryer, the gobi florets can be deep fried on medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy.
    • Spicy - add more serrano pepper to make it spicy.
    • Gravy - to enjoy it as a main course, you can make gravy by adding two more cups of water and a little bit more cornstarch slurry if needed. You can adjust the salt and pepper according to your taste.
    Cauliflower Manchurian served in a bowl.

    Equipment

    I have made the air-fried cauliflower Manchurian in the 4 qt. Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer. You can make them in any type of air fryer, basket style or tray style, and any size.

    Storage

    It is best to eat gobi Manchurian hot once it is ready. Leaving it for long or storing it can make the florets soft.

    If you do want to make them ahead of time then you can store the cooked florets separately in an air-tight container after cooling them down completely. When you want to use them, you can reheat them in the air fryer at 350°F for 1-2 minutes.

    You can also freeze the cooked florets in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag. When you are ready to use them, you can defrost them in the microwave and reheat them in the air fryer.

    Top tip

    To ensure that the cauliflower Manchurian turns out crispy, spray oil well while air frying. Also, if you are deep frying, use medium-high heat.

    Cauliflower Manchurian pin.

    Related

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • veg manchurian in a bowl.
      Veg Manchurian In Air Fryer
    • chickpea vegetable kung pao in a bowl served with rice, half green pepper and mushroom in background
      Instant Pot Kung Pao Chickpeas
    • Soft tofu soup served a bowl.
      Vegetarian Tofu Soup
    • Hot and sour soup served in a bowl.
      Instant Pot Hot and Sour Soup - Vegetarian

    Pairing

    These are my favorite dishes to serve with gobi Manchurian:

    • instant pot fried rice in a bowl.
      Vegetable Fried Rice
    • Instant pot wild rice in a bowl.
      Wild Rice In Instant Pot
    • Cooked Brown rice in a bowl.
      Instant Pot Brown Basmati Rice
    • jasmine rice in a yellow bowl with Thai curry and Thai tea in background.
      How to Cook Jasmine Rice in Instant Pot
    • instant pot basmati rice in a bowl
      Instant Pot Basmati Rice - Pot In Pot (PIP)
    • lo mein served in a grey pasta bowl
      Quick And Easy Instant Pot Vegetable Lo Mein
    • Air fryer potstickers in a plate with soy sauce on the side.
      Frozen Potstickers In Air Fryer
    • Air fryer frozen spring rolls served with sweet sauce.
      Frozen Spring Rolls In Air Fryer

    Don't forget to rate the recipe by clicking the stars. Also, pin the recipe by clicking the "Pin" button, for your future reference.

    📖 Recipe

    Cauliflower Manchurian served in a bowl.

    Air Fryer Gobi Manchurian

    Gobi Manchurian is a popular Indo-Chinese dish. It is vegan, gluten-free, and served with rice or noodles. Check out this easy recipe to make dry gobi Manchurian in the air fryer for parties and potlucks.
    5 from 4 votes
    Rate Recipe Print Pin Save Saved!
    Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine: Chinese, Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 20 mins
    Total Time: 30 mins
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 196kcal
    Author: Alpa Jain
    Follow on Facebook@culinaryshades

    Equipment

    • Air Fryer

    Ingredients

    For gobi manchurian florets

    • 4 cup Cauliflower florets (1 lb)
    • ½ cup All-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup Corn starch
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Red chili powder
    • ⅓ cup Water (more if needed)

    For gobi manchurian gravy

    • 1 tablespoon Oil
    • 1 cup Onions (chopped)
    • 1 tablespoon Ginger (chopped)
    • 4 tablespoon Garlic (chopped)
    • 1 tablespoon Serrano pepper (optional, sliced)
    • ⅓ cup Scallion greens
    • ⅓ cup Scallion Whites
    • 1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce (tamari sauce for gluten-free)
    • 1 tablespoon Chili sauce (more if needed)
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Organic cane sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
    • 1 cup Water (or vegetable stock)

    Cornstarch slurry for gobi manchurian gravy

    • 1 tablespoon Corn starch
    • 3 tablespoon Water
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    Instructions

    Make the batter for cauliflower florets

    • In a bowl, add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, and red chili powder.
      ½ cup All-purpose flour, ¼ cup Corn starch, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Red chili powder
    • Slowly add water and mix it with a whisk until a smooth batter is formed. The batter should flow freely but should not be runny nor too thick.
      ⅓ cup Water
    • Add the cauliflower florets to the batter and coat them well and evenly with the help of a spoon.
      4 cup Cauliflower florets

    Air fry cauliflower florets

    • Preheat the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 390°F.
    • Spray some oil in the air fryer basket with an oil sprayer.
    • Place the coated cauliflower florets in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes.
    • Open the air fryer basket after 5-6 minutes and spray some oil on the cauliflower florets.
    • Continue to cook for the remaining time.
    • Open the air fryer basket and shake the florets.
    • Air fry for another 2 minutes at 390°F.
    • Check for doneness with a fork. The top of the cauliflower will be crispy and the inside well cooked.

    Make gobi manchurian gravy

    • Place a frying pan on the stove on medium heat.
    • Add oil, once the oil is hot, add onions, scallion whites, ginger, garlic, and green chilies.
      1 tablespoon Oil, 1 cup Onions, 1 tablespoon Ginger, 4 tablespoon Garlic, 1 tablespoon Serrano pepper, ⅓ cup Scallion Whites
    • Saute for a few minutes until onions are translucent.
    • Add soy sauce, chili sauce, salt, and sugar, and mix well.
      1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Chili sauce, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Organic cane sugar
    • Saute everything for about 1-2 minutes.
    • Add water and continue to cook until the gravy starts bubbling.
      1 cup Water
    • Prepare a cornstarch slurry by mixing water and cornstarch and ensuring there are no lumps.
      1 tablespoon Corn starch, 3 tablespoon Water
    • Pour the cornstarch slurry in the gravy, a teaspoon at a time, until you get a desired consistency.
    • Allow the gravy to boil for a minute, the gravy will have a shiny glaze.
    • Add the pepper and cauliflower florets and mix well.
      ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
    • Add scallion greens and turn off the flame.
      ⅓ cup Scallion greens

    Watch Video

    Notes

    • The air frying time will vary depending on the size of the cauliflower florets.
    Substitutions
    • Tamari sauce - instead of soy sauce, you can use tamari sauce to make it gluten-free.
    • Rice flour - instead of cornstarch, you can use rice flour to make the batter.
    Variations
    • Deep fry - instead of the air fryer, the gobi florets can be deep fried on medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy.
    • Spicy - add more serrano pepper to make it spicy.
    • Gravy - to enjoy it as a main course, you can make a gravy version by adding two more cups of water and a little bit more cornstarch slurry if needed. You can adjust the salt and pepper according to your taste. Add the florets to the gravy just before serving.
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Air Fryer Gobi Manchurian
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    196
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    4
    g
    6
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    0.5
    g
    3
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    0.01
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Sodium
     
    926
    mg
    40
    %
    Potassium
     
    487
    mg
    14
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    36
    g
    12
    %
    Fiber
     
    4
    g
    17
    %
    Sugar
     
    6
    g
    7
    %
    Protein
     
    5
    g
    10
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    224
    IU
    4
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    58
    mg
    70
    %
    Calcium
     
    64
    mg
    6
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @culinaryshades23 or tag #culinaryshades

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    Alpa Jain - Author of Culinaryshades

    Hi! I am Alpa. I am passionate about cooking and love to share my tried and tested vegan and vegetarian recipes for your family and friends to enjoy!

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