I was first introduced to Gobi Manchurian way back when I was in college in Bangalore. There were dozens of hawker stalls around our campus dishing out mouth-watering, finger-licking good Chinese food – made especially for the Indian palate of course! The menu ranged from various types of Noodles, Fried Rice, Stir-fried Veggies, Paneer and Chicken. My favourites to order was always the Chilli Chicken, Gobi Manchurian and Hakka Chowmein. The first time I walked into a Chinese restaurant here in Canada, I was surprised to find none of those on the menu. It was only until much later, that I realized that the Chinese food we all love and relish in India, didn’t actually come from the kitchens of real Chinese cooks! Instead, it began as an Indo-fusion creation that has now been perfected by hawkers on the streets of any major city in India! While most Hakka joints here in the GTA cater to our Indo-Chinese loving palates by dishing out all the usual favourites, somehow, Gobi Manchurian seems to be the ONE thing missing from most of their vast menus. Of the handful of places that I’ve found them served at, it’s always been a hit-or-miss to get the right flavour and texture. I love fusion cooking! I enjoy mixing and matching non-traditional methods and ingredients and creating something different. Which is why, one fine Sunday morning, armed with a fresh head of cauliflower, larger than the size of my own, I decided to give this a go! The ONE piece of advice I would give you before you decide to jump into this, is to not skip the Tomato-Chilli sauce. I’ve tried a few different brands and have come to the conclusion that Maggi Hot & Sweet gives the exact flavour I’ve been hunting for. So put on your apron and dish this up. It’s as close to the real thing as it can get! This post was originally published in March 2006 and has been recently updated. If you enjoyed this recipe, you will surely love my Chilli Chicken – Hakka-style, Chilli Paneer and Ginger Shrimp Stir-fry recipe as well. You can find the web story to this Gobi Manchurian recipe here. To watch more of my other recipe web stories, click here. Tried this recipe? Leave a Comment and let me know, also Rate it by clicking the number of stars on the recipe card. Want to share your version with me? Tag me on Instagram @hookedonheat
