Spice Up Your Snack Game with Chilli Gobi

wellhealthorganic.com Chilli Gobi: Chilli Gobi stands as a beloved starter or snack within Indo-Chinese cuisine, embodying a delightful fusion of flavors. This crispy dish boasts a spicy, subtly sweet, and sour profile. Tender cauliflower florets are coated in a batter, deep-fried to golden perfection, then tossed with stir-fried spring onions, green bell peppers (capsicum), and an array of sauces, culminating in a harmonious medley of tastes.

Chilli Gobi

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Cuisine: Indo Chinese

Course: Appetizers, Snacks

Diet: Vegan

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Ingredients

For frying gobi:

• 1 small to medium-sized cauliflower
• 2.5 cups water (for blanching cauliflower)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons corn flour (corn starch)
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or Deghi mirch powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (naturally fermented soy sauce)
• ½ teaspoon sweet red chili sauce or sweet chili garlic sauce or sriracha sauce
• Salt, as required
• 1 cup water, or as needed
• Oil, for deep frying

For making chilli gobi:

Also Read: Roasted Makhana

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 
• ½ cup spring onion whites, sliced
• ⅓ cup capsicum (green bell pepper), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger or 1.5 inches ginger
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic 
• 2 to 3 green chilies, slit
• 1 teaspoon mirin or ½ teaspoon rice wine or rice vinegar or white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce (naturally fermented)
• 1 teaspoon sweet red chili sauce or sweet chili garlic sauce or sriracha sauce
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon sugar, or as required
• Salt, as required
• 2 tablespoons spring onion greens, for garnish

Instructions

Blanching Cauliflower:

1. Rinse and chop the cauliflower into small florets.
2. In a pan, bring 2.5 cups of water to a boil, adding ¼ teaspoon of salt.
3. Turn off the heat and add the cauliflower florets, blanching them for 5 minutes.
4. Drain the water and set the blanched cauliflower aside.

Making Batter for Chilli Gobi:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, corn flour, salt, Kashmiri red chili powder, black pepper powder, soy sauce, and sweet chili sauce.
2. Gradually add water to form a smooth batter with medium consistency.
3. Heat oil for deep frying.

Frying Gobi:

1. Dip cauliflower florets in the batter, ensuring even coating.
2. Fry them until golden and crisp, avoiding overcrowding the pan.
3. Remove fried florets and drain excess oil on paper towels.

Also Read: Kolukattai

Making the Sauce Base:

1. Heat sesame oil in a pan, adding chopped garlic, ginger, and slit green chilies.
2. Sauté until fragrant, then add spring onion whites and capsicum.
3. Stir-fry until onions turn translucent, then add soy sauce and sweet chili sauce.
4. Mix well.

Assembling Chilli Gobi:

1. Add fried cauliflower to the pan, along with sugar, black pepper, and salt.
2. Toss until combined, then sprinkle with mirin.
3. Adjust seasoning if needed, then garnish with spring onion greens.
4. Serve hot for best crispiness.