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The COVID-19 lockdowns and the subsequent risks of eating out have really taken the joy out of going to small roadside eateries that offer an assortment of delicious snacks. In particular, there is an item called Gobi Manchurian which – in culinary terms – is a travesty of both Indian and Oriental cuisine. But it’s simply delicious! So we are going to create a homemade version of this crossover snack food.
What’s more, we are going to make a version that’s far healthier than the roadside one. First of all, we won’t use any Ajinomoto or MSG which is really bad for your health. And second, our cooking medium will be cold-pressed Mustard Oil – so even though this is a deep-fried dish, it’s packed with good fats and other nutrients. Just forget the guilt and go wherever your taste-buds are leading you.
Here are the ingredients that you will need.
Ingredients for Gobi Manchurian
Cauliflower (Gobi): 1 medium-sized
P Mark Mustard Oil: 200 millilitres
Plain Flour (Maida): 150 grams
Corn Flour (Makke ka Atta): 4 tablespoons
Onion, chopped: 100 grams
Garlic: 10 cloves, finely chopped
Green Chillies: 2, finely chopped
Capsicum, finely chopped: 50 grams
Ginger: One-and-a-half inch piece, finely chopped
Soy Sauce: 2 tablespoon
Tomato Ketchup: 1 tablespoon
Vinegar: 1 teaspoon
Black Pepper Powder: 1 teaspoon
Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder: 1 teaspoon
Salt: to taste
Preparation for Gobi Manchurian
Chop the onion, capsicum, garlic, ginger and chillies, as mentioned earlier.
Wash and clean the cauliflower. Use your hands to break it into florets and then cut into smaller pieces, if required.
Heat water in a pan and bring it to a boil. Blanch the cauliflower florets in boiling water for around 20 minutes. Drain the water and keep the florets aside.
Method for Gobi Manchurian
Take a mixing bowl and add the plain flour, corn flour, a teaspoon of soy sauce, a pinch of black pepper powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder and salt. Mix well.
Add water – just enough to make a thick batter. Whisk the batter till it becomes smooth.
Heat the Mustard Oil in a pan on a High flame till it reaches its smoking point. Then lower the flame to Medium.
Dip each floret in the batter, ensuring that it gets coated properly and then fry it in the oil. Depending on the size of your pan, you can either fry the florets one at a time or in batches. Keep stirring and flipping to ensure even frying so that each fried floret turns golden brown in colour.
Place the fried florets on paper towels to drain the excess oil. (Actually, there won’t be any significant excess oil because we are using Mustard Oil which is proven to be absorbed in very small amounts into your food while cooking or frying.)
In the same pan, add the chopped garlic, green chillies and ginger. Sauté for 15 to 20 seconds and then add the chopped onion and capsicum; stir fry till the capsicum is cooked.
Add the remaining soy sauce, the remaining black pepper powder and the tomato ketchup. Keep stirring.
Next, add the fried cauliflower florets. Keep stirring to ensure that the mixture coats each floret adequately.
Add the vinegar – and give the contents of the pan one last stir. Remove from heat. Your Gobi Manchurian is now ready. Serve it hot. It can be eaten as a snack or as a side dish.
Your favourite street food – homemade and healthy!
For more such recipes, please visit https://www.purioilmills.com/recipes-in-english
