Gobi Manchurian

Name: Gobi Manchurian
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: Cauliflower; Gram flour; Vegetable oil; Soft brown sugar; Tomato puree; Garlic; Fresh ginger; Green chillies; Red wine vinegar; Fresh coriander

174 kcal a serving, against 436 for the traditional version. That is 262 kcal off, or 60%, with 7.5g of protein. Serves 4. 45 minutes.

What the traditional version is

Cauliflower florets heavily battered in plain flour and cornflour, deep-fried until crisp, then tossed in a thick, sugary sauce made from tomato, garlic and chilli.

What changed, and what each change costs

100g of plain flour, 50g of cornflour and a deep-fat fryer for 50g of gram flour and a hot oven

Deep-frying a vegetable completely destroys any nutritional logic, soaking up hundreds of calories of oil like a sponge. Gram flour, made from ground chickpeas, brings significantly more protein than plain white flour. When mixed with a tiny bit of water and oil, it creates a savoury crust that crisps up beautifully in a very hot oven.

What it costs you. You lose the shattering, bubbly crunch of a true deep-fried batter. Baked gram flour gives a slightly denser, earthier bite that softens faster once it hits the sauce.

40g of white sugar for 10g of brown sugar and extra tomato puree

Takeaways rely on mounds of cheap white sugar to make the sauce dangerously sticky and sweet. I cut the sugar right down and use brown sugar for a deeper, more caramelised flavour. Extra tomato puree cooked out properly provides a natural sweetness that bridges the gap.

What it costs you. The sauce won't have that mirror-like, candy glaze that coats your teeth. It is sharply savoury and spicy, acting more like a heavy dressing than a thick syrup.

600g of cauliflower up to 800g

Stripping out the thick batter and the frying oil removes a massive amount of the physical bulk from the pan. I increase the cauliflower to ensure you still get a proper, filling portion on your plate.

What it costs you. Chopping an extra 200g of cauliflower takes exactly 30 seconds. There's absolutely no downside here.

What goes in it

The ingredients, without the quantities. The weights are what the figures below are computed from, and they are in the book.

Cauliflower
Gram flour
Vegetable oil
Soft brown sugar
Tomato puree
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Green chillies
Red wine vinegar
Fresh coriander

How it starts

Preheat your oven to 220C.
In a large bowl, whisk the gram flour with 10g of the vegetable oil, a pinch of salt and just enough cold water to make a thick paste.
Spread the coated cauliflower out on a large baking tray lined with baking parchment.

The rest of the method, and every weight, is in Authentic-ish Indian.

The numbers

Per serving	Traditional	Lightened
Calories	436	174
Protein	6.2g	7.5g
Fat	23.3g	6.5g
Saturated fat	3.2g	1g
Carbohydrate	51.9g	24.1g
Protein per 100 kcal	1.4g	4.3g

Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked. How every number is computed sets out the method.

Allergens. sulphites.

The method is in the book

Call it a fiercely savoury vegetable dish that packs a serious punch rather than a deep-fried takeaway treat and you'll be about right. The gram flour crust clings brilliantly to the cauliflower, soaking up that sharp, spicy tomato sauce without turning instantly to mush. You get the fiery kick of ginger and green chilli, the sticky tang of the glaze, and a dinner that actually leaves you ready to tackle the rest of your evening.

The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback