Orange Cauliflower
Vegetable Manchurian (With Gravy)
Who doesn’t like Vegetable Manchurian? This is the most Indianised Chinese dish, that has been customized to the Indian palette. The dry version of this dish aka Vegetable Manchurian dry is one of the most popular Starters offered at all weddings, get-togethers, parties, and the like. This also happens to be my most favourite starter. I also have a recipe on this blog for Fried rice with these dry Manchurians, do check it out. The only difference is that I have used Cauliflowers instead of cabbage in the fried rice recipe. Fried rice and Manchurian with gravy are a match made in heaven, so do try out the combination from the recipes in my blog.
This is a no-fail recipe and turns out well every time that I make it, which is why I make it frequently. In this recipe, I have used 1 whole medium-sized cabbage( oh yes that’s how much we like this dish), one can customize it as per their requirements though.
While you are here please do check out my other Indo Chinese recipes like Schezwan fried rice(with Soya chunks), Cauliflower fried rice and other dessert recipes like Pineapple jam tarts and Apple crumble.
Here is the recipe for Vegetable Manchurian(with gravy) for you-
Ingredients for the Manchurian dough:
Cabbage 1 medium-sized (shredded)
Carrot 1 (shredded)
Spring onions 1 bunch chopped finely
Onion 1 finely chopped
Green chillies 2 finely chopped
Ginger 1/2 inch piece finely chopped
Salt as per taste
Pepper powder 1 tsp
Maida 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup
Rice flour 1/4 cup
Ingredients for the gravy:
Garlic 3 cloves finely chopped(reserve some for garnish)
Ginger 1/2 inch piece
Green chillies 2 finely chopped
Spring onion greens 1 tbsp finely chopped
Onion 1 small finely chopped
Tomato puree 1/4 cup or puree of 1 large Tomato
Green Capsicum 1/4 of a whole chopped medium-sized
Red Bell pepper 1/4 of a whole chopped medium-sized
Tomato sauce 2 tbsp
Chilli sauce 2 tsp(add for more spice)
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Vinegar 1 tbsp
Cornflour 2 tbsp
Salt as required
Pepper powder 1tsp
Oil for frying the Manchurian
Directions to make the Manchurian:
In a bowl take the shredded Cabbage, add to it rest of the vegetables like shredded carrot, spring onions, onions, green chillies and ginger. Add salt and pepper powder and combine well using your fingers. Now add Maida/refined flour, followed by rice flour and combine nicely. It needn’t become a dough, but you should be able to form a ball that doesn’t go flat or break. Now divide the mixture into lemon sized balls( I got around 20 of them with this quality). Heat oil in a wok or Kadai and fry the balls in medium heat until a golden brown. Keep them aside.
Directions for making the gravy:
Heat oil in a pan and add the finely chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic to it. Saute for 30 seconds. Now add the spring onion greens and saute. Add the onions and continue to saute, until the sweat a bit. Remember all sauteeing to be done in high heat and with constant stirring. Now add the tomato puree and cook for a minute. Add salt and pepper powder and continue to cook for another minute. When the raw smell from the tomato puree is gone, drop in the both the Red and Green capsicum. Saute for another 30 seconds. You can add a teaspoon of sugar at this stage(optional). Now add the tomato sauce, followed by the red chilli sauce. Stir nicely. Now add the soya sauce followed by Vinegar, stir and cook for a minute. Prepare the cornflour mix by adding 1/2 cup water to 2 tbsp of cornflour. Pour this mix into the prepared sauce and stir continuously for a minute. Now dilute the sauce to the consistency you prefer by adding water. I have added 1 cup as I like a thick gravy. Simmer for 2 minutes on low heat and the gravy is ready. Now arrange the Manchurian balls in a serving dish and pour the gravy over it. Enjoy hot with any Fried rice varieties. Bon Appetit.
STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:
1. In a bowl take the shredded Cabbage, add to it rest of the vegetables like shredded carrot, spring onions, onions, green chillies and ginger. Add salt and pepper powder and combine well using your fingers.
2. Now add Maida/refined flour, followed by rice flour and combine nicely. Now divide the mixture into lemon sized balls( I got around 20 of them with this quality). Heat oil in a wok or Kadai and fry the balls in medium heat until a golden brown. Keep them aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and add the finely chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic to it. Saute for 30 seconds. Now add the spring onion greens and saute.
4. Add the onions and continue to saute, until the sweat a bit. Remember all sauteeing to be done in high heat and with constant stirring. Now add the tomato puree and cook for a minute. Add salt and pepper powder and continue to cook for another minute.
5. When the raw smell from the tomato puree is gone, drop in the both the Red and Green capsicum. Saute for another 30 seconds. Now add the tomato sauce, followed by the red chilli sauce. Stir nicely. Now add the soya sauce followed by Vinegar, stir and cook for a minute.
6. Prepare the cornflour mix by adding 1/2 cup water to 2 tbsp of cornflour. Pour this mix into the prepared sauce and stir continuously for a minute.
7. Now dilute the sauce to the consistency you prefer by adding water. Simmer for 2 minutes on low heat and the gravy is ready. Now arrange the Manchurian balls in a serving dish and pour the gravy over it. Enjoy hot with any Fried rice varieties.
Notes:
1. The gravy for any wet Manchurian is the same, so one can experiment with other vegetables like Cauliflower, Potato, Brocolli, Soya Chunks beside others. If you make Manchurian with any other interesting vegetable do let us know. We love learning.
2. I usually make a slightly thick gravy as that’s how we like this dish. If you prefer a lighter one, feel free to dilute the gravy by adding little warm water.
3. If you make an excess of the Manchurian balls, don’t fret, as you can mix them ina onion tomato paste, add some spices, add Schezwan sauce and get it to the consistency of a dry paste. Toss in the balls into this paste, mix nicely and stir fry and you have a dry Manchurian at hand???? to relish.
If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and ill respond as soon as I can.
Gobi/Cauliflower Fried Rice
This is a fusion recipe and I usually make it by stir-frying the Cauliflower, but this time I tweaked my own version of the recipe a little and first made a dry Manchurian of the cauliflower and then incorporated it into the fried rice. This is a complete meal and you won’t have to make any accompaniments to go with, as the cauliflower is curried. Usually, a wet Manchurian is served with Fried rice, but here the Manchurian is incorporated into the rice, so just by itself it is a meal.
Apart from the cauliflower Manchurian, I have added the usual Fried rice vegetables as well like Carrots, French Beans, Capsicum etc, had to skip the Spring onions as I couldn’t get hold of it when I planned to make this dish. Never the less, the rice tastes just as good.
I have used regular rice and not Basmathi as I find that Basmathi and Chinese flavours do not go very well. Jasmine rice can be used in place of regular rice if you prefer. Fried rice varieties like this one and Schezwan Fried rice with Soya chunks are my go-to food during weekends as just one dish makes everyone happy, and I get time to do some baking.
While you are here I request you to check out my other recipes such as Schezwan Fried Rice, Schezwan Sauce, Creamy Tomato Pasta, Nutella fudge Brownies, Apple Crumble and more…
Here is the recipe of Gobi Fried Rice for you—
Ingredients for Manchurian:
Cauliflower 1 medium-sized, cut into florets
Rice flour ½ cup
Corn flour ¼ cup
Salt as required
Red chilli powder 1 tap
Pepper powder 1 tsp
Water 1 tbsp approx.
Onion 1 large
Tomato 1 medium
Tomato sauce 1 tbsp
Red chilli sauce ½ Tbsp
Garlic 5 cloves finely chopped
Green chillies 3 finely chopped(divided)
Oil for frying
Ingredients for Fried Rice:
Rice precooked and cooled (spread and cool on a plate, drizzle little oil)
Carrot 1 chopped finely
French Beans a few chopped finely
Capsicum 1 small chopped finely
Salt as required
Sugar 1 tsp
Soya sauce 1 tbsp
Pepper powder ½ tsp
Directions for Manchurian:
Boil 1litre water. Take the cauliflower florets in a large vessel, add 1 tsp st and ½ tsp turmeric powder and pour the boiling water over it. Cover the vessel and let it stand for 10minutes. Now drain all water and cool the florets. On cooling add the Rice flour, followed by Corn flour, add salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder and toss nicely with a spatula or using your fingers. Take approximately 1 tablespoon water and sprinkle it over the flour and cauliflower mixture. Now nicely mix them all together. Adding 1 tbsp water helps the flours to stick to the Cauliflower. Heat oil for frying in a Karahi and fry the Cauliflowers nice and crisp. Drain in absorbent paper and keep aside.
In a wok/karahi take some oil and heat. Put in the finely chopped garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the green chillies and saute for another 30 seconds. Transfer the sauteed garlic and chilli to a plate. Now put the onion and 1 green chilli into a blender and grind to a smooth paste. Remove and blend the tomato into a smooth puree. Now in the same wok heat the oil and drop in the onion paste. Fry nicely until light brown. Now add the tomato puree and mix well. Cook the onion tomato paste on high flame and start drying out the moisture. When most of the moisture has evaporated add the Tomato sauce, Red chilli sauce, salt and red chilli powder and stir nicely. The sauce should be semi-dry. Now add the fried cauliflower florets to this sauce and toss nicely, such that the sauce coats the cauliflower well. The Manchurian is ready. Set it aside.
Directions for Fried Rice:
Pre-cook rice. Spread it on a plate, drizzle some oil and cool. Now in a wok heat some oil. Over a high flame saute the capsicums first for 1 minute. Now add the chopped beans and carrot and stir fry for a minute. Add a teaspoon of sugar while stir-frying. Now add the salt, pepper powder and saute for another minute. Now its time to add the cooked and cooled rice. Add it little by little and mix nicely. Add a tablespoon of Soya sauce and give everything a nice stir, so that the Soya sauce mixes in. Now add the Manchurian to rice and toss well. Finally, mix in the sauteed chillies and garlic to the Fried rice. The Gobi fried rice is ready to serve.
STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:
1. Assemble all ingredients. Chop cauliflower to florets, cook rice and cool as directed. Take the cauliflower florets in a large vessel, add 1 tsp st and ½ tsp turmeric powder and pour the boiling water over it. Cover the vessel and let it stand for 10minutes. Drain the water and cool the florets.
2. Add the rice flour and cornflour along with salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder and toss well. Add a tablespoon of water and mix nicely. It should be a dry mixture, the flours must stick to the florets.
3. Heat oil in a wok/karahi for deep frying and fry the cauliflower florets until crisp. Drain excess oil on an absorbent paper and set aside.
4. In a wok/karahi take some oil and heat. Put in the finely chopped garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the green chillies and saute for another 30 seconds. Transfer the sauteed garlic and chilli to a plate.
5. Put the onion and 1 green chilli into a blender and grind to a smooth paste. Remove the paste, and blend the tomato into a smooth puree. Now in the same wok heat the oil and drop in the onion paste. Fry nicely until light brown. Now add the tomato puree and mix well. Cook the onion tomato paste on high flame and start drying out the moisture.
6. When the mixture is almost dry, add the Tomato sauce, Red chilli sauce, salt and red chilli powder and stir nicely. The sauce should be semi-dry. Now add the fried cauliflower florets to this sauce and toss nicely, such that the sauce coats the cauliflower well. Set the Manchurian aside.
7. In a wok, heat oil and add the chopped beans and carrot and stir fry for a minute. Add a teaspoon of sugar while stir-frying. Now add the salt, pepper powder and saute for another minute.
8. Now add the rice little by little and mix well. To this add the soya sauce and mix again, such that all the contents are well integrated. Now add the Manchurian to the rice and toss nicely. Follow this up by adding the sauteed green chilli and garlic. Toss again. The Gobi Fried rice is ready to devour.
1. The same recipe of Manchurian works well if you want to make dry Gobi Manchurian. If using the recipe only for Manchurian then add the sauteed chillies and garlic after to have mixed the florets with the sauce.
2. In case you add more water while mixing the flours with the florets and the flour is not sticking to the florets add in extra flour.
3. While making the fried rice I have not added any chilli powder. Only pepper powder has been added, as all other spices are there in the Manchurian. If you prefer more spice, feel free to add more.
4. Sugar is added while sauteeing vegetables so that they retain the colour and cook well.
If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you. If you have a query about the recipe email us and ill respond as soon as I can.
Schezwan Fried Rice (Soya Chunks)
Schezwan fried rice is an Indo Chinese recipe and is similar to Chinese Fried Rice. Schezwan Sauce imparts a lovely flavour to this dish.
Chinese Paratha
This recipe is one that has been sitting in my recipe book for the past 20 years. I made this as a young mother, with no success at making Veg Hakka noodles, as I did not understand what aldente meant.