Dry Gobhi Manchurian

                                                                           

Frankly, I had not bothered to even try making Indo Chinese dishes back in India, apart from the occasional Chow Mein ( noodles) or Fried Rice for the kids. When one was in the mood for it, one went to the many  Chinese restaurants that offered excellent fare or ordered home delivery. That simple! Cut to the present....if I crave Indo Chinese, I jolly well have to stir myself and make it! Ok, so there are great Chinese restaurants here in Dar es Salaam too but, they serve authentic Chinese and not the desi Chinese one is so fond of. In fact it can be bewildering to an Indian fresh out of India that what goes for Chinese food in India is practically unknown in Chinese cuisine.

Of the many popular dishes that came to mind I decided on this recipe as I had plenty of really fresh cauliflower at home. After looking up several recipes online I had a fair idea how to go about it. First step, blanch the cauliflower florets. Next, dip in batter and fry till crisp and finally, coat it with a special sauce. Ta Daaa!! My Dry Gobhi Manchurian was ready, and, believe it or not ....it was the best I had had!! Sometimes, things don't just turn out as good as you expected...they come out better:)

Ingredients:

1 medium cauliflower
salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Water as required to boil cauliflower

For the batter:
4 tbsp all purpose flour (maida)
2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilly powder
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp soy sauce
Water as required
Oil for deep frying

For the sauce:
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped green chilly  ( optional)
1 onion
1 capsicum
1 1/2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilly powder
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornflour dissolved in little water
2 to 3 tbsp chopped spring onion leaves

Method:  Cut cauliflower in bite size florets. Heat plenty of water in a pan and add salt and turmeric powder to it. Add the cauliflower to the boiling water and let it cook for about five minutes. The florets should get slightly tender but not mushy. Remove from flame, drain and rinse in cold water. Place florets in a colander for any excess water to drain out. Chop ginger, garlic, capsicum, green chillies(optional)and spring onion leaves. Finely slice onion.

Prepare the batter by mixing all the ingredients namely all purpose flour, cornflour, salt, pepper, Kashmiri red chilly powder,ginger garlic paste, soy sauce and water. Use a whisk to form a smooth batter. The batter should not be too thick nor too runny.

Heat oil in a wide heavy bottom pan. Dip a few florets in the batter and drop one by one in the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan and  fry only as many as can go in without overlapping.  Fry till crisp and then remove on to an absorbent paper.

Take out excess oil from the pan leaving only about 2 tbsp. Heat the remaining oil and add ginger, garlic, green chillies(optional) and saute for about half a minute. Add onion and capsicum. Stir fry lightly till onion softens. Add tomato ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, Kashmiri red chilly powder and black pepper powder. Mix. Add the fried cauliflower florets and stir  to ensure the sauce coats the florets evenly.  Add the dissolved cornflour and gently mix it in. Check for taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Close flame and sprinkle the spring onion leaves. Serve hot.