Name: Air Fryer Gobi Manchurian
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 cup Cauliflower florets ((1 lb)); 1/2 cup All-purpose flour; 1/4 cup Corn starch; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/4 tsp Red chili powder; 1/3 cup Water ((more if needed)); 1 tbsp Oil; 1 cup Onions ((chopped)); 1 tbsp Ginger ((chopped)); 4 tbsp Garlic ((chopped)); 1 tbsp Serrano pepper ((optional, sliced)); 1/3 cup Scallion greens; 1/3 cup Scallion Whites; 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce ((tamari sauce for gluten-free)); 1 tbsp Chili sauce ((more if needed)); 1/2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Organic cane sugar; 1/4 tsp Black Pepper; 1 cup Water ((or vegetable stock)); 1 tbsp Corn starch; 3 tbsp Water

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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.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
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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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.