Holy Smackerel!

Gobi manchurian ain’t pretty but it sure is delish! #cauliflower #vegan#indian

I’ve never written a recipe for someone else to decipher, so totes do ask if you have questions!

CAULIFLOWER BATTER
Roughly 16 medium cauliflower florets (if cutting down to size, think the length of a lemon standing on its tip, and about half that in width)
5 tbsp all-purpose flour (buckwheat works all right for gluten-free options, but extra salt was requested)
3 tbsp cornstarch
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
¼ cup water, and additional tablespoons as necessary

1. Mix dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Mix in ¼ cup water.
3. Add water one tablespoon at a time until the consistency of the batter is a bit looser than pancake batter. Your whisk should still meet a little resistance when stirring, but too-thick batter will result in leathery cauliflower once fried.
4. Dip cauliflower florets in batter and fry in wok/deep fryer until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Don’t worry if uneven browning occurs, just wait until the spots look uniformly distributed. You want the coating to be crispy at the edges, and the cauliflower to be nicely steamed inside.
5. Lay fried florets on a paper towel-lined plate or tray to absorb excess oil.

MANCHURIAN SAUCE
1 tbsp oil or enough to coat the bottom of a medium sauce or casserole pan
½ medium red onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 tsp finely minced green chilis (can increase or decrease to taste, for level of spice)
2 tsp finely minced ginger
2 tbsp red chili sauce
4 tbsp soy sauce
2-4 tbsp any combination of ketchup and tomato chili sauce, such as Maggi
3-4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp white vinegar
1-2 tbsp cornstarch
¼ cup water or stock of choice (vegetarian or meat)

1. Heat oil in pan on medium heat.
2. Add onions, cook for about 1 minute. (I am lazy so I add everything at once)
3. Add garlic, green chili, and ginger, and sauté until the onions are brown. If the garlic starts to brown first, jump to the next step.
4. Stir in red chili sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, and vinegar. Cook until the mixture bubbles and the oil separates, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking (about 2-3 minutes).
5. Add the cornstarch and water or stock, and cook until thoroughly absorbed.

At this point, you’ll want to remove it from heat and dip a “tester” floret in the sauce to decide if it needs any adjustments. To adjust heat or sweetness or loosen sauce, stir in any combination of the chili/soy/ketchup/honey/vinegar on low heat until desired thinness/flavor is achieved. You can stir in up to one more tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken it.

Once the sauce and fried florets are finished, toss florets with the Manchurian sauce and serve heaped on a plate if you’re lazy like me, or garnish with chopped green onions and serve with toothpicks in each individual florets if you’re schmancy.

I’ve tried frying the florets first and setting aside, as well as preparing the sauce first and setting aside. It’s easiest to work with the sauce when it’s still hot, so I recommend you fry first if possible, or at least reheat the sauce when tossing. No matter what you do, only the most thickly battered parts retain their crunch in the sauce, but I think that’s the tastiest part. I’ve only tried making it four hours in advance of when I needed it, but it was devoured even when cold! I’m sure reheating on the stove would be fine, though. I keep wanting to experiment with adding an egg or egg white to the batter, swapping in some balsamic vinegar, or trying broccoli instead of cauliflower, so there are some ideas if you are feeling crafty!