Cauliflower Manchurian

One of the best Indo-chinese recipes I have come across and never found it on the American menu. The following recipe is a restaurant style version, so it has food color and Ajinomoto. You could choose to omit them, if you want and it surely will taste good even without it. Ajinomoto/chinese salt gives a Umami flavor to the food, which is why food tastes even better with it. They are basically flavor enhancers, and of course should be used minimally in any dish.


You need
Cauliflower - 1 medium (florets separated)
Onions - 1/2 (diced)
Red/Green pepper - 1/2 (diced)
Green chillies (Optional) - 2 (sliced long)
Spring onions - finely chopped
Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt
All purpose flour - 2 tablespoons
Corn flour - 1 tablespoon
Rice flour - 1 tablepspoon
Ajinomoto - 2 pinches
Soy sauce - 1 -2 tablespoons
Tuang sauce/red chilly sauce - 2 tablespoons
Tomato sauce - 1 tablepsoon
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Garlic - 2 cloves (finely chopped)
Ginger - small piece (finely chopped)
Red/Orange food color - a pinch
Oil


Method

• In a bowl place the washed and cleaned florets and add ginger garlic paste, salt, soy sauce, pepper powder and 1 pinch of ajinomoto and mix well.
• In a separate bowl add all the flours together, salt and make a thick batter using water.
• Heat enough oil in a pan to fry the florets. Dip the florets in the batter and drop them in hot oil.
• Remove them onto paper towels when they turn golden brown.
• In a wok start by adding oil, finely chopped ginger and garlic, green chillies, onions, red/green pepper, salt, 1 pinch of ajinomoto, soy sauce, tuang sauce, tomato sauce and stir fry on medium high heat. 
• Mix the food color in little water and add it to the wok. 
• At this point the contents in the wok will look like a thick sauce. If not add little water to bring it to sauce texture.
• Add the fried florets to the wok and mix well to coat all the florets with the sauce. 
• Stir fry on medium high heat for - 2-5 minutes and garnish with spring onions.
• Serve hot