Gobi Manchurian is an all time favorite Indo-Chinese style street food. Using an air fryer to fry the cauliflower is a guilt free way to indulge often.

If there is one recipe that my boys ask me to make over and over again, till now it would be this Cauliflower Manchurian. It is so exciting to see that my boys share the same love as me. Growing up and to this time I love cauliflower manchurian. In fact, I have lost counts of how often I have ordered it in the restaurants and enjoyed it.

Living in a different country, we don’t get the opportunity to eat Cauliflower Gobi Manchurian outside that often. So I started making it at home. Trust me, these tastes so much more delicious than the restaurant ones. Only thing that I worry about making it often is the deep frying of the cauliflower florets. It is a high calorie recipe when making it the traditional way.

Can I use Air Fryer to make Cauliflower Manchurian –

To solve the problem of deep frying the cauliflower florets, air fryer came to the rescue. In fact, one of the recipes that I really wanted to try in my air fryer is this recipe. It turned out to be a super hit. From now on I will be using my Air Fryer whenever I make Cauliflower fritters for this recipe. It was super simple and it worked like a charm. Now I can eat this as often as I want without the guilt of deep frying.

This dish became very famous in India during my college days. Gobhi Manchurian is not only available as street food, but also could be found in menu of every restaurant. I remember eating this with my friends on the road side mobile shops. My mother would never let me stand outside the shop and eat, so I would mostly end up packing this home and then eat it at home.

How to serve Gobhi Manchurian –

The Manchurian can either be served as an appetizer / starter or as a side dish for the very famous Indo-Chinese Fried rice or Hakka noodles. If making it as an appetizer the dish is generally a little dry. I have made it a little soggy (with gravy) to go with fried rice.

Half my cauliflower is gone by the time I am done frying them. My boys (including my husband) snack on the fritters as and when they come out from frying (or air frying). So when I am making this for dinner, I have to make sure I have enough cauliflower in hand to make it as a dish. This is our usual weekend menu and I make sure to have at least 2 heads of cauliflower.

Preparation time – 20 mins

Cooking time – 1 hr

Difficulty level – medium

Ingredients to make Gobi Manchurian – (serves 4)

Cauliflower – 1 large head cut into medium florets

Bell pepper – 1 (chopped into 1 inch cubes)

Onion – 1 (chopped into 1 inch cubes)

Spring onion – 4 (chopped with the greens)

Ginger garlic paste – 2 tbsp

Soy Sauce – 2 tbsp

Red chili sauce – 1 tbsp (adjust based on your spice level)

Tomato ketchup – 2 tbsp

Vinegar – 1 tbsp

Corn flour – 1 tbsp (dissolved in about 4 tbsps of water)

Toasted sesame oil – 1 tsp

Olive oil or any other cooking oil – 2 tbsp

Oil – for deep frying the cauliflower (skip if using air fryer)

For the Gobi Manchurian batter –

All purpose flour/Maida – ¼ cup

Corn flour – 3 tbsp

Red chili sauce – 2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Water – as needed to make a thick batter

Procedure to make Gobi Manchurian–

Boil water in a large pot with enough salt. Then turn off the flame and add the cauliflower florets into boiling water. Let the florets sit in the water for about 5 minutes and then drain the cauliflowers in a colander and keep aside.

In the meantime, mix all the ingredients listed under batter and make a thick batter. Drop all the drained cauliflower florets into the batter and mix until they are coated well.

Fry these florets in hot oil until golden brown and drain on paper towel. Keep aside.

Using an Air fryer to fry the cauliflower florets –

Preheat the air fryer at 380 F for about 3 minutes.

Then spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with oil (or brush with oil) and place the battered florets in a single layer.

Let it air fry for about 12 to 15 minutes or until they are golden brown. If needed, brush the florets with some oil once in between. This is optional.

Keep shaking the basket every 5 minutes for even frying and also to check. Depending on the size of the florets and the quantity, the frying time may vary.

Making the Gobhi Manchurian –

In a large wok or pan, heat the sesame oil and the cooking oil in high heat. When oil is hot, add the chopped onions and half of the spring onions.

Sauté until they are translucent.

And then add the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute more.

Then add the chopped bell peppers and sauté until slightly cooked. Make sure that the peppers still have a crunch in them.

After that, add the soy sauce, chilli sauce, ketchup and vinegar and mix well.

When the sauces come to a boil add the corn flour dissolved in water.

Mix well and let the sauce thicken. This takes about a minute or two.

Then add the fried florets to the gravy and add the remaining spring onions.

Finally mix carefully without breaking the floret.

Serve the Cauliflower Manchurian hot with fried rice!