Baked Gobi Manchurian – Cauliflower Manchurian

In this lightened-up take on the Indian-Chinese restaurant-favorite Gobi Manchurian, cauliflower florets are baked up until crispy, then drenched in a sweet and spicy delicious manchurian sauce! Serve it as an appetizer or main dish. Gluten-free option. 

I’m always excited when I can present you with an easy spin on a restaurant favorite and today I have a good one for you! One of those special-occasion restaurant menu items that we all love to order when eating out but never considered making at home. Cauliflower Manchurian! This makes a great addition to the festival menu!

What is Cauliflower Manchurian?

Gobi Manchurian, or Cauliflower Manchurian, is a super popular take-out and restaurant menu item. This  Indo-Chinese dish is typically fried but I prefer to bake the florets in the oven. Baking gives cauliflower an amazing texture; you won’t miss the greasy, fried coating.

The crispy oven-baked florets are then tossed with a delicious sweet, spicy, and tangy Manchurian sauce! This easy vegan dish makes for the most delicious appetizer but it can also be served as a main  when paired with rice.

The ingredient list for making cauliflower manchurian is on the longer side but don’t be intimidated by that. Most ingredients are pantry staples and the preparation is so easy so it’s so worth it!

Manchurian sauce is a very versatile sauce. You can add some Crisped tofu,  veggie meatballs or vegan chicken to the sauce or add in some noodles.

MORE CAULIFLOWER RECIPES

• Taco Spice roasted Cauliflower
• Spicy Pepper Cauliflower Bites
• Mango Sriracha Cauliflower
• Aloo Gobi – Baked
• Nashville Cauliflower Bites
• Kung Pao Cauliflower

More Indo Chinese dishes

• Tofu 65 – tofu with curry leaf infused sweet and sour sauce 
• Hakka Noodles – Noodles with cabbage, carrot, veggies and an easy sauce Gf option
• Tofu Paneer Chilli – Sweet and spicy sauce with crisp tofu GF

Baked Gobi Manchurian (Cauliflower Manchurian)

4.95 from 20 votes

By: Vegan Richa

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

Servings: 4

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese, Indian-Chinese

SaveSaved Pin Print

In this lightened-up take on the Indian-Chinese restaurant favorite Gobi Manchurian, cauliflower florets are baked up until crispy and then drenched in a delicious sweet and spicy sauce! Serve it as an appetizer or main dish. Gluten-free option. 

Save this recipe!

Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Save Recipe

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

For the cauliflower:

• ▢ 1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into florets, 4 cups

For the batter:

• ▢ 7 tablespoons of flour such as rice flour or all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 cup of cornstarch or other starch such as tapioca starch
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ▢ 1/3-1/2 cup of water
• ▢ 1/4 cup panko

For the Manchurian sauce:

• ▢ 2 teaspoons of oil
• ▢ 6-8 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• ▢ 1 inch knob of ginger peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 of a green or red chili seeded and finely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup finely chopped red or white onion
• ▢ 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped celery, optional
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Asian Chili Sauce such as Sambal Oelek or other
• ▢ 1/4 cup soy sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ketchup
• ▢ 2 teaspoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2-3 teaspoons sugar or maple syrup
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons corn starch
• ▢ 1/2 cup of water

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Add all the dry ingredients for the batter in a bowl and mix well(flour, starch, garlic powder, salt, baking powder). Add the soy sauce, oil, and 1/3 cup water, and mix. Add water 1 tbsp at a time to make a thick smooth batter.
• Add cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle panko aon the florets. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake at 415 F(210 C) for 25-28 minutes. Check if the cauliflower is done at 25 mins. Remove from the oven when done and set aside

For the sauce

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilis and stir. Cook until the garlic is golden ,2-3 minutes.
• Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook until golden . 8 minutes.
• Add in the sauces. The Asian chili sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, black pepper, and sugar and bring it to a boil.
• Mix together corn starch in 1/2 cup of water then add it to the skillet. Cook until the sauce comes to a good boil and thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning. Adjusting the soy sauce for salt and heat with black pepper or Asian Chili Sauce.
• Once thickened, cool for 5 mins, then add your baked cauliflower and toss to coat. Top with green onions and serve immediately. See notes for storage

Video

Notes

• Baked manchurian is best served immediately. If planning to serve later as in not later than a few hours. Keep the Baked cauliflower and sauce separate. Heat the cauliflower in the oven again for 7-9 mins then toss in the warmed Sauce and serve  
• You can sub some of the cauliflower with firm tofu, rehydrated soy curls, or seitan for added protein.

Nutrition

Calories: 219kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 784mg, Potassium: 689mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 186IU, Vitamin C: 96mg, Calcium: 90mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Ingredients:

• cauliflower – cut into same-size florets
• batter: the dry ingredients are a mix of flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and garlic powder. The baking powder will help the cauliflowers crisp up in the oven.
• batter: as wet ingredients, we use a blend of water, oil, and soy sauce
• a small amount of panko makes these bake up extra crispy
• sauce: we create a typical Manchurian sauce base by sauteeing onion, garlic, ginger and chili
• finely chopped bell pepper and celery add some texture to the Manchurian sauce
•  for the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors, Asian chili sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, black pepper, and sugar
• a cornstarch slurry will help thicken up the sauce slightly and add a glossy shine.

Tips:

• Make sure that the florets are not too small and all the florets are of a similar size so it bakes evenly in the oven.
• Lining the baking sheet with parchment paper will make it less messy!
• You can sub some of the cauliflower with firm tofu, rehydrated soy curls, or seitan for added protein.

How to make Baked Gobi manchurian (step pics)

Add all the dry ingredients except for the panko and mix well.

Add the soy sauce,oil and 1/3 cup water, and mix. Then, add water 1 tbsp at a time to make a thick smooth batter.

Add cauliflower florets to the bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle the panko over the cauliflower in the bowl once it has been coated. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 415 F for 25-28 minutes. Check if the cauliflower is done at 25 mins. Remove from the oven when done and set aside.

For the sauce, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilis and stir. Cook until the garlic is golden for 2-3 minutes. Now, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook until golden brown. 8 minutes.

Add in the sauces. The Asian chili sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, black pepper, and sugar and bring it to a boil.

Mix together corn starch in 1/2 cup of water then add it to the skillet. Cook until the sauce comes to a good boil and thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning. Adjusting the soy sauce and salt and heat with black pepper or Asian Chili Sauce.

Once thickened, add your baked cauliflower and toss to coat.

Top with green onions and serve.