Culinary Aromas
- Nov 2, 2020
- 3 min read

Gobi Manchurian | Air fried | Deep fried | No maida | No Cornflour | Gluten free

Updated: Nov 6, 2020

Gobi Manchurian is a popular street-food that comes from Indo-Chinese cuisine. Gobi Manchurian and healthy, how do these even go together? Until you try this amazing recipe made with absolutely no maida (aka all purpose flour), no cornstarch, and no ready-made tomato and chilli sauces.

This turned out to be even more delicious and crispy than the regular one. My kids emptied it in seconds and now, want me to make it the same way every single day.

Both deep-fry and air-fry methods are explained in the post. I personally love the air-fried method since it just needs 1-2 tsp of oil for the frying making it even healthier.

Some insights into the ingredients that I used to make this unique recipe

Sorghum or Jowar Flour

I have used flour made from Sorghum which is one of the millets that is extensively used across India. Sorghum goes by various names - Jowar, Great/Indian Millet, Cholam. Sorghum is gluten-free that has high antioxidants and phytochemicals that regulate blood cholesterol levels. It is also rich in fiber and vitamin B3. I love Bob's Red Mill Sorghum flour. You can choose any sorghum flour that is available to you.

Arrowroot flour or starch

Derived from the tubers of the arrowroot plant. This flour is a Gluten-free and healthier option than cornstarch. Works great as a thickening agent for sauces. I prefer to get Bob's Red Mill Arrowroot flour. Again, You can choose any arrowroot flour that is available to you.

Tomato paste

A common practice is to use store-bought tomato ketchup and hot sauce. I prefer making my own paste for this recipe using tomatoes. This time I have used some homegrown tomatoes to make this paste that makes this dish tastier and flavorful. Here is an easy recipe to make homemade tomato paste. You can use any organic tomato paste too.

If you love or would like to explore millets, please check out my blog posts on some great millet recipes. For some of my other air fryer recipes, please visit the air fryer page.

Video

Ingredients

For the batter

½ cup Sorghum (Jowar) flour
2 tbsp Arrowroot flour
½ tsp Red chili powder
1 tsp Cumin/Jeera powder
½ tsp Garam masala
½ tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp salt
170 ml water (About ¾ cup)
Oil - as required for deep frying, and about 1-2 tsp if air-frying

For Manchurian

1lb (½ kg) Cauliflower or Gobi
¼ cup green Onion
¼ cup green Bell pepper
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp Arrowroot flour
½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder
3 tbsp water
3 tbsp organic tomato paste or homemade sauce
1 tbsp Soya sauce. I prefer a low sodium one. Try this from Whole Foods.
1 tbsp Brown sugar preferred or 1 tbsp Sugar
½ tbsp Apple cider vinegar
5 garlic cloves grated

Instructions

Prep

Wash the cauliflower well and place them in hot water for 10min.
Wash and chop the Bell peppers (or Capsicum) and Spring onions to a small size
Grate Garlic and keep aside

Making the batter

Take the Sorghum or Jowar flour in a deep mixing bowl.
To that add the arrowroot flour, red chili powder, jeera powder, garam masala, garlic powder, and salt.
Add water little by little and make a medium thick batter. The batter should not be thin or runny. Not very thick too. Just enough to coat the cauliflower. Please check the video for batter consistency.
Transfer the batter to a cup. This helps to dip the cauliflower easily.

Deep-Fry method

Warm oil on medium flame.
Dip the cauliflower into the batter and deep fry in oil until golden brown.
Set aside and scroll down to making the Manchurian section

Air-fry method

Preheat the air-fryer at 350F (180C) for 5 min
Dip the cauliflower in the batter and place them on a plate for 2-3 min. The extra batter will drip down and this prevents the batter from spreading on the air-fryer basket.
Place the battered cauliflower on the air-fryer basket and brush/spray little oil on each of them.
Air-Fry at 350F (180C) for 10 min
Flip, brush with little oil, and air-fry at 325F (160C) for 10 min.

Making the Manchurian

Take arrowroot powder in a small bowl. Add chili powder and water to make a paste.
Warm 2 tbsp oil in a pan
Add grated garlic, green onion, and green bell pepper.
Sauté for 5 min
Then add tomato paste. Sauté for 2 min.
To that add Soya sauce, Vinegar, and brown sugar
Add salt. Soya sauce has salt as well. So, check the taste before adding salt.
Now, add the arrowroot paste.
Mix it well and let it cook for 4-5 min
Taste the sauce and add more sugar, chili powder, or vinegar, based on more sweet, spicy, or sourness you like.
Add deep-fried/air-fried cauliflower and toss it well so it’s evenly coated with sauce.
Garnish with some spring onions