Cauliflower florets in a crisp maida-cornflour jacket, tossed in a tangy chilli-garlic sauce; the notebook's second Indo-Chinese entry, recorded as-is.
Snack · 20 min prep · 20 min cook · serves 3 Newly added
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower , medium, in bite florets
- ½ cup maida (refined flour)
- ¼ cup corn flour
- ½ cup water , for the batter
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- to taste rock salt
- 2 cups oil , for deep frying
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tbsp ginger (fresh) , minced
- 1 green chili , optional
- 1 tbsp green chilli sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp spring onion , chopped, to finish
Preparation
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Make a thick batter of maida, corn flour, chili powder, pepper, salt and water; coat the florets well.
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Deep-fry at medium heat until the florets are golden and just tender, 4–5 minutes; drain.
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In a wide pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and flash-fry the garlic, ginger and chili until fragrant, 30 seconds.
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Add the sauces and 3 tablespoons of water; boil to a sticky glaze.
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Toss the fried cauliflower through the glaze, finish with spring onion, and eat immediately.
In the tradition
The companion page to the paneer chilli, and the same honest rule applies: this is what the household actually cooked on request evenings. Fried, saucy, unapologetic, and a useful reminder that a satvik collection can hold treats without pretending they are daily food.
Sources & further reading
- Family recipe notebook (recipe #38, "Gobi Manchurian: cauliflower, maida, corn flour, chilli, soy sauce, tomato ketchup, water, salt")
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books are shared as further reading, not as prescriptions.