Vegan MoFo Day 10: Gobi Manchurian (Party Interlude continues.)

The most popular dish at our party was the Gobi Manchurian. I love Gobi Manchurian in all forms. Frankly, I love all Indian Chinese food, period. Maybe next year, I will do a month of Indian Chinese for MoFo. Anyhow, this was super-good, so I had best write down what I did before I forget.

For the most part, I followed Mark Bittman's directions (from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian), but with a few changes. Bittman uses an egg batter, so that had to go. I did a little internet research, but decided to stay with Bittman's very simple flavor profile.

Take 1 large cauliflower and cut it into reasonably small florets. You do not have to steam it or bake it in advance. You just need to cut it small enough that it will cook through as it fries.

Whisk together:

2/3 c cornstarch

1/3 c chickpea flour

1/3 c all purpose flour

2 T soy sauce

3/4 c water

1/2 t salt

black pepper to taste

Pour this batter over the raw cauliflower florets, and toss until they are more or less evenly coated. Perfection is not needed.

Heat a few inches of oil to 350 F. (I used a deep fryer for safety.) Fry in batches until well-browned and crispy. Keep the fried cauliflower warm in a low oven or warming drawer until it is all done.

To make the sauce, heat 1 T oil in a pan and fry 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped) for just a minute. Add 1 c ketchup. (I think cheap ketchup is essential - nothing fancy or homemade here.) Cook this over medium heat, stirring, until it bubbles, reduces, and starts caramelizing. Stir in Indian chili powder to taste, and salt if needed. Bittman uses cayenne, but I prefer Indian chili powder. Taste the sauce and amaze yourself with what has happened. I made the sauce earlier in the day and reheated it in the microwave just before using, to avoid multi-tasking while deep-frying.

Gently toss the hot fried cauliflower with the ketchup sauce. The sauce is thick, but it will gradually melt around all of the cauliflower. Serve hot, and watch it vanish!