Recipe from Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur
Adapted by Sam Sifton
- Total Time
- About 30 minutes
- Rating
- 4(254)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This vegetarian version ofchicken Manchurianwas a menu highlight at Devi, Hemant Mathur and Suvir Saran's excellent Indian restaurant in Manhattan, which closed in 2007. The deep-fried florets were coated there in a mysterious and spicy red sauce that contained a secret ingredient: ketchup,a fact I learned from my colleague Mark Bittman. Caramelized in a wide pan and made fiery with cayenne, it cloaks the cauliflower in a blanket of deep, pungent flavor. Do not recoilat the thought of deep-frying the florets! Using a Dutch oven will reduce the amount of spatter, and a full head of cauliflower can be fried in as little as two batches. —Sam Sifton
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves 4 to 6
- About 2 quarts corn or canola oil, for frying
- 3eggs
- ⅔cup cornstarch
- Kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1large or 2 small heads cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
- 2cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1cup ketchup
- Cayenne pepper, to taste
- Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)
- Steamed greens, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
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.)
Step
2
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.
Step
3
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.
Step
4
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.
Ratings
4
out of 5
254
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Cooking Notes
Chris
I've made Bittman's "stir fry chicken with catsup" and his recipe mentions a cauliflower version as the original inspiration. This worked great. My take:
Ditch the deep fry. I pan-sautéed the cauliflower in just a T of oil in a large non-stick skillet. Went medium high for 6 minutes and should've gone 8 min (keep stirring).
Double the garlic and don't be too shy with the cayenne.
Cook the catsup until it really darkens: 8+minutes on medium.
Kristen
Plan to use quite a bit of cayenne, and even a bit more garlic to get the ketchup flavor to mellow out. I also added some sriracha, which was a good addition! Yum!
Sue
Did you still "bread" the cauliflower before sautéing?
K
I'm sure the original recipe is good as written, but I made it with these changes (didn't feel like frying): Roasted cauliflower (plus olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar) at 425 degrees until crispy and brown (25 min?, stirring intermittently), then tossed in sauce (I used piri-piri pepper sauce instead of cayenne for increased tanginess).
Very satisfyingly sweet-savory dish that could be the center of a meal.
Erica
Love the concept, but it's not authentic. In India, this dish is not made with eggs
Judith Bassoul
I intend to make this without the eggs and starch. Just fry the cauliflower florets after blanching, like they do in the Middle Easr
Elena
I would suggest to Blanche the cauliflower ahead ( just 3 minutes or less ). I also skipped the egg altogether , I do not think it is strictly necessary even if I am sure it will add a layer of flavour . Most important: my grumpy teenager daughter agreed to eat cauliflower for the first time ever and she has already asked for this recipe twice in a week . I would have never imagined to even buy ketchup , not to mention cook with it but , considering the results , I am now very grateful!
Geoff (3)
This recipe alone justifies buying a FryDaddy. No spatter, no dealing with a frying pan full of oil or washing said frying pan full of oily residue. Crispy roast potatoes from Serious Eats are the other item I cook regularly in the fryer. Just like my '04 Bimmer 335Cic soft-top, change the oil every six months and it will run forever.
Ernesto
Where do all the calories come from?
Susan,
Roasted cauliflower, then tossed with cooked sauce - well received by my family. Next time, may add 1.5 tsp of finely chopped ginger root and toss in pan with the garlic, finish with chopped scallions.
Dolores
Delicious. We had this dish recently at a local restaurant, and this recipe was at least as good, maybe better. I used a combination of olive and coconut oil and shallow-fried rather than deep fried. Also, used only one egg and substituted plain yogurt. Added turmeric and more garlic as well.
Meghan
I love this recipe! would suggest adding some chili oil when cooking the ketchup to add a kick
Thomas
Delicious! But do add fresh ginger to the sauce. It was really the only change that I made. My hubby and I ate the whole bowl like it was popcorn.
Mary T
This was delicious! I blanched the cauliflower, then used the cornstarch and egg mixture, then sautéed it in 2Tbsp oil in a nonstick pan. After that, I used the small amount of oil remaining in the pan and followed the rest of the recipe. Added a little sambal oelek in at the end. Next time I’ll chop some cilantro and sprinkle it on before serving. Brown basmati rice and some naan - I’ll cook this one again!
Rocky
This was amazing. It’s like sweet and sour chicken. Caramelizing the ketchup is clutch.
MidwestLady
I made this last night. I fried the cauliflower in coconut oil, using enough heat to brown it - plain, no coating, and stopping at just barely soft. I removed the cauliflower and made the sauce. Then returned the cauliflower to the hot sauce and simmered until the cauliflower was fork tender. To the sauce, I added a small dash of Red Boat fish sauce and some Franks Sweet Chili sauce. It was pretty tasty and met with approval to the 4 people who enjoyed it. So easy!
Geoff (3)
This recipe alone justifies buying a FryDaddy. No spatter, no dealing with a frying pan full of oil or washing said frying pan full of oily residue. Crispy roast potatoes from Serious Eats are the other item I cook regularly in the fryer. Just like my '04 Bimmer 335Cic soft-top, change the oil every six months and it will run forever.
betts
This was sweeter than expected. By the time the ketchup is caramelized to the point of darkening slightly it has reduced to about half the volume but still has all the sugar. Very tasty if sweet heat is the goal.
Leah Hoffman
Recommend replacing cayenne with green chilis, which were key part of the Gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian recipes I enjoyed while living in India in my twenties. Pairs well with thick cut fries and a lager.
Nick Fowler
Need to upgrade your recipe for healthier options.Cut out canola oil replace with avocado oil.Replace cornstarch with all purpose flour.And ketchup with an actual tomato.
DEH
Wonder if this could be done in an Air Fryer. Might have to blanch it first an spray with oil
Allison S
Too ketchupy for me. Added a ton of chili powder and cumin and could not get the taste right. Tasted like cauliflower drowned in ketchup. I did roast the cauliflower in the oven instead of frying.
Elena
I would suggest to Blanche the cauliflower ahead ( just 3 minutes or less ). I also skipped the egg altogether , I do not think it is strictly necessary even if I am sure it will add a layer of flavour . Most important: my grumpy teenager daughter agreed to eat cauliflower for the first time ever and she has already asked for this recipe twice in a week . I would have never imagined to even buy ketchup , not to mention cook with it but , considering the results , I am now very grateful!
K
I'm sure the original recipe is good as written, but I made it with these changes (didn't feel like frying): Roasted cauliflower (plus olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar) at 425 degrees until crispy and brown (25 min?, stirring intermittently), then tossed in sauce (I used piri-piri pepper sauce instead of cayenne for increased tanginess).
Very satisfyingly sweet-savory dish that could be the center of a meal.
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