Manchurian Cauliflower Recipes

Steps:

• Put at least 2 inches of oil into a deep-sided, heavy-bottomed pot and bring to 350 degrees on a candy thermometer. (In a bind, put a pinch of flour into the pot; at 350 it will sizzle but won't burn.)
• In a bowl large enough to accommodate the cauliflower, whisk together the eggs and cornstarch. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper and add the cauliflower. Toss to coat the florets evenly.
• Fry the cauliflower in batches, so as not to crowd the pan, making sure that the oil is hot each time you add fresh florets. Cook until the cauliflower begins to mottle, about 4 minutes, then transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Now take a tablespoon of the hot oil from the frying pot and place it in a large pan over medium heat, swirling to coat the pan. Add the garlic and fry until fragrant, then add the ketchup, stirring occasionally, until it begins to bubble and caramelize around the edges. Add cayenne pinch by pinch to taste and then the cauliflower. Toss until hot and coated. Serve with white rice and steamed greens, if desired.

Steps:

• Wash and drain cauliflower florets.
• Make a batter of six tablespoons of cornstarch, green chillies and spring onions adding salt to taste.
• Dissolve the remaining two tablespoons of cornstarch in quarter cup of water and keep aside for sauce.
• Heat sufficient oil in a kadai.
• Dip each cauliflower floret in the prepared batter and deep fry till golden brown. Remove and drain onto an absorbent paper.
• To make the sauce, heat two tablespoons of oil in a pan and gently fry the garlic paste and the ginger paste.
• Add the chopped capsicum and onion.
• Stir in the soya sauce and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for two minutes.
• Add the vinegar, MSG, sugar and adjust salt to taste.
• Stir in the dissolved cornstarch and cook stirring continuously till the mixture thickens and starts bubbling.
• Add the fried cauliflower florets.
• Mix well to coat and cook for two minutes more.

Steps:

• Cut the cauliflower into medium to large size florets & wash them thoroughly. Allow them to dry completely before adding them to the batter. If there is any water remaining in the florets it will make the batter runny.
• Mix all batter ingredients together. Add the water last, slowly to create a fairly thick batter. Add the dry cauliflower florets & mix well so that each floret gets well coated with the batter. Marinate for between 30 minutes to 4 hours.
• When ready to make the dish, heat oil in a deep sided pan on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium and add the florets a few at a time deep frying until golden brown and crispy. Don't fry them on high flame as the cauliflower needs to be cooked from inside too.
• Remove on absorbent paper to drain any excess oil. Continue frying the remaining florets in similar manner. Keep these crunchy florets aside.
• In a small container, mix the soy sauce, ketchup, sriracha sauce and white vinegar. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a large frying pan or skillet. Add ginger, garlic paste and white part of the spring onions. Saute for two minutes then add the sauce. Mix well and saute for 1 min until the sauce thickens. Add 1/2 tsp sesame seeds (reserve 1/2 tsp sesame seeds for garnishing) along with the salt & pepper, to taste.
• Just before serving, increase the heat to high and add the crunchy florets into the sauce. Stir fry for 2 mins so that the florets get well coated with the sauce. Garnish with the spring onion greens and remaining sesame seeds. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Measure out all the spices onto a sheet pan. Place the pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until the spices begin to slightly smoke and turn a little brown. Remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool. When the spices are fully cooled, grind them in a spice grinder in batches, until all spices are completely ground. Mix them well and keep in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.
• Remove the outer green leaves and stems from the cauliflower, and cut the head down the middle in an X to make four wedges. Lay the wedges cut-side down and make thin cross-sectional slices of each piece. After cutting a cauliflower wedge about halfway, turn the piece and chop the rest of the wedge into bite-size florets. This cutting technique provides different textures of cauliflower.
• Peel the carrot and cut it on the bias into thin slices about 2 inches long.
• Halve and peel the onion. Cut half moon slices of onion.
• Mix all the vegetables together and season with the Mustard Fenugreek Masala, black salt, chili powder, and kosher salt. Set the vegetables aside for 2 to 4 hours.
• Combine the tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, ginger, and chili powder in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
• Combine the flour and cornstarch in a large bowl. Pour 5 cups of water into the bowl a cup at a time and mix with a large whisk until a thick runny pancake batter consistency is reached.
• Heat the oil for deep-frying to 300°F in a heavy-bottom pot. Check the temperature with a thermometer. Dip the cauliflower mix into the batter in batches and drop into the hot oil. Use a mesh "spider" or slotted spoon to move the cauliflower mixture around to keep it from forming large clumps. When the mixture begins to lightly brown-about 3 minutes-remove and place the cauliflower on paper towels to drain any excess oil. Continue cooking the cauliflower mixture in batches. Compost any excess batter.
• Increase the heat in the fryer to 375°F. Check the temperature with a thermometer. Drop the fried cauliflower mix back into the hot oil for about 5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Remove the cauliflower from the oil. In batches, toss the cauliflower mix in a metal bowl with the sweet and sour sauce. Garnish with the cilantro.

Steps:

• For the cauliflower: In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, onion and bell pepper. Drizzle with the vegetable oil and sprinkle with the salt and turmeric. Stir until the cauliflower is well coated.
• Place the cauliflower in the air-fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, stirring the cauliflower halfway through the cooking time.
• Meanwhile, for the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and ginger.
• Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over and toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Mix flour, cornmeal, water, black pepper, and salt together in a bowl to make a thick batter. Toss in cauliflower florets and mix until coated.
• Deep fry cauliflower a few florets at a time until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Mix 1/4 cup vegetable stock with cornmeal in a bowl. Add soy sauce, ketchup, chile-garlic sauce, and salt.
• Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over high heat. Add onions, chile pepper, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry for a few seconds. Add cornmeal mixture and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining vegetable stock and cook until very thick, about 10 minutes. Remove sauce from heat.
• Spoon sauce over fried cauliflower and toss slightly. Garnish with green onions and serve.