Chilli gobi recipe with step by step pictures. Absolutely delicious is this restaurant style chilli gobi recipe from the Indo Chinese cuisine. You just cannot stop eating these crispy and spicy cauliflower florets. This cauliflower chilli makes an awesome starter or snack at family dinners or get-togethers.

chilli gobi served in a black rectangular tray with black chopsticks on the left side on a blacking grey board with sweet red chilli sauce in a small black bowl placed on top.

You see Indo Chinese food is one of our favorite fusion food and yes I have shared many Indo Chinese Recipes as well. This chilli gobi is also our favorite and is a restaurant style version. It is crispy, saucy, umami, spicy and oh so good. Serve chilli gobi to your family or your friends and they will love it and keep you asking for more.

What is Chilli Gobi

Chilli gobi is a popular starter or snack recipe from the Indo Chinese cuisine and fusion recipe. It has a crispy texture with a spicy, sweet and sour taste. The cauliflower florets are batter-coated, deep fried and then mixed with stir-fried spring onions, capsicum (green bell pepper), soy sauce, sweet red chilli sauce, salt and pepper.

Basically, chilli gobi is another addition to the group of chilli recipes from the Indo Chinese cuisine like Chilli paneer, Chilli Mushroom, Chilli potato.

The recipe that I have shared is a crispy dry version and not the gravy (sauce based) version. Do keep in mind that making chilli gobi takes time, so please be patient. But the end result is worth the time and energy spent in preparing this dish.

chilli gobi served in a black rectangular tray with black chopsticks on the left side on a blacking grey board

You have to serve cauliflower chilli hot or else the crispiness will reduce. While serving you can garnish with some spring onion greens.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Chilli Gobi

Blanching cauliflower

1. Rinse and then break or chop 1 small to medium cauliflower (350 grams cauliflower) in small florets. You will need about 3 to 3.25 cups of chopped cauliflower florets. Chop cauliflower into small pieces as then they become more crispy.

rinsed and chopped cauliflower in small florets

2. In pan or saucepan take 2.5 cups water and add ¼ teaspoon salt.

water and salt in a sauce pan

3. Bring the water to a rolling boil.

water boiling in the sauce pan

4. Switch off the heat and keep the pan on the kitchen countertop. Add the cauliflower florets. Blanch for 5 minutes.

cauliflower florets added in hot water

5. Drain all the water and keep the blanched cauliflower aside. Do make sure to drain all the water very well.

drained of all the water and placed cauliflower florets in a bowl

6. Meanwhile thinly slice 1 small capsicum (green bell pepper) and 2 medium sized spring onion whites (scallions). Finely chop 1.5 inches ginger, 5 to 6 medium to large garlic cloves and slit 2 to 3 green chillies. Keep aside.

You will need ½ cup sliced spring onion whites and ⅓ cup thinly sliced capsicum.

sliced spring onions, capsicum, finely chopped ginger, garlic and slit green chillies on a white chopping board

Making batter for chilli gobi

7. Take 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida) and 4 tablespoons corn flour (corn starch) in a mixing bowl.

all purpose flour and corn starch in a mixing bowl

8. Add 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder and ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder. Also, add salt as required. I added 1 teaspoon rock salt. If using iodized salt, then add ⅓ to ½ teaspoon salt depending on taste.

added Kashmiri red chilli powder and black pepper powder

9. Add 1 teaspoon soy sauce.

adding soy sauce

10. Next add ½ teaspoon sweet red chilli sauce or sweet chilli garlic sauce or sriracha sauce.

adding sweet red chilli sauce.

11. Add 1 cup of water in parts.

water added

12. Begin to mix.

mixing the flours with water

13. Add the remaining water and make a smooth batter without lumps. Depending on the quality and texture of flours, you can add ¾ to 1 cup water.

batter ready

14. The batter should have a medium consistency and should not be thick or thin. If the batter looks thin, then add some more all-purpose flour (maida). If the batter looks thick then add some more water. Heat oil for deep frying on medium heat.

consistency of batter

Frying gobi

15. When the oil becomes hot then place some cauliflower florets in the batter.

placing cauliflower florets in the batter

16. Coat the florets evenly with the batter.

coating cauliflower florets with the batter

17. Slid off the extra coating from the florets on the sides of the bowl and place the batter coated cauliflower florets in medium hot oil.

Add less portion of the florets and do not overcrowd the pan or kadai or wok. Fry cauliflower florets in medium hot oil.

placing batter coated cauliflower florets in hot oil for frying

18. When one side becomes golden and crisp, turn over each floret. The cauliflower fritters will stick to each other. Thus add less amounts and as soon as you add them stir with a spoon so that they do not stick.

In case they stick, then fry them together as one whole. Once you place them on paper towels then break them when they become less hot.

frying cauliflower florets

19. Flip for a couple of times more, so that the florets are evenly fried, golden and crisp.

frying cauliflower florets till crisp and golden

20. Remove the fried gobi florets with a slotted spoon or spider spoon.

removing fried cauliflower florets with a spider spoon

21. Place the fried gobi florets on a kitchen paper towel for extra oil to be absorbed. Similarly, fry the gobi florets in 3 to 5 batches depending on the size of the kadai or wok.

You can stop here too and have these crisp cauliflower fritters as a snack.

placing fried cauliflower florets on kitchen paper towels

Making the sauce base for chilli gobi

22. Heat 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a pan or wok or kadai. Use peanut oil or sunflower oil if you do not have toasted sesame oil. Gingelly oil made from raw sesame seeds can also be used.

Add 1 tablespoon chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger and 2 to 3 slit green chillies.

adding chopped garlic, ginger and slit green chillies to hot toasted sesame oil in a wok

24. Sauté them for some seconds till the raw aroma of both ginger and garlic goes away.

sautéing garlic, ginger and green chilies

25. Add ½ cup sliced spring onion whites and ⅓ cup thinly sliced capsicum.

sliced spring onions and capsicum added in the wok

26. Mix and then increase the flame to medium or medium-high after adding the onions and capsicum.

mixing onions and capsicum

27. Stir non-stop and stir fry onions till they become translucent. If the base starts looking browned then reduce the flame.

stir frying spring onions and capsicum in the wok

28. Lower the heat and then add 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sweet red chilli sauce. You can use sweet chilli garlic sauce or sriracha sauce instead of sweet red chilli sauce.

adding soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce

29. Mix very well.

mixing the sauces

Making chilli gobi

30. Add the fried cauliflower florets.

adding the fried cauliflower florets

31. Add ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and salt as per taste. Add a few pinches of salt as the sauces and fried cauliflower florets already have salt in them.

adding salt, black pepper powder and sugar

32. Increase the heat to medium or medium-high. Mix and toss well. Switch off the heat. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon mirin or ½ teaspoon rice wine or rice vinegar or white vinegar. Mix again. Check the taste and add more sauces, pepper, salt and sugar if required.

adding mirin

33. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of spring onion greens.

added chopped spring onion whites

34. Serve chilli gobi hot or else the crispiness reduces. Garnish gobi chilli with some spring onion greens while serving.

chilli gobi served in a black rectangular tray with black chopsticks on the left side on a blacking grey board

More tasty snacks recipes for you!

Below I have mentioned some tips so that you can make a great restaurant style and best chilli gobi.

Tips to make the best chilli gobi

  • Size of the cauliflower florets matters – Chop or break the cauliflower in small florets to get a crispy texture. Large cauliflower florets won’t give you that crispiness. Do not chop the cauliflower too small as you don’t want to spend too much time frying them.
  • Deep frying – Yes deep fry to get that crispy texture. No baking or air frying the gobi florets as these just do not give a crisp fried texture. For health reasons, you can bake or air-fry, but the crisp texture won’t be there.
  • Blanching – It is always better to blanch cauliflower as this will get rid of insects and worms in the cauliflower. The frying time is also reduced.
  • Keep everything ready – when making recipes which call for stir-frying, it is a best practice to keep all the ingredients ready near your stove top.
  • Forgiving recipe – This recipe is forgivable and you can easily halve it.
  • Soy sauce – if possible use naturally fermented soy sauce.
  • More or less of the sauces – Do not increase the amount of sauces than what is mentioned in the recipe, or else the taste may go awry and the final dish won’t taste that good.
  • Kashmiri red chilli powder – yes please use Kashmiri red chilli powder as it gives a deep orangish red color in this chilli gobi recipe and looks good. A natural red coloring ingredient as well. If using any other type of red chilli powder, you may not get this deep red color. If the red chilli powder is spicy, then reduce the amount. You can even use deghi mirch powder instead of Kashmiri red chilli powder.
  • Balance – in all Indo Chinese recipes balance in all the various tastes is a key point. So keep a check while adding the sauces and spices and don’t go overboard.

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more veetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

chilli gobi

Chilli Gobi (Cauliflower Chilli)

Chilli gobi is a popular starter or snack recipe from the indo Chinese cuisine. A fusion dish, chilli gobi is crispy, spicy, slightly sweet and sour tasting. The cauliflower florets are batter coated, deep fried and then mixed with stir-fried spring onions (scallions), capsicum (green bell pepper), sauces, salt and pepper. 

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe

blanching cauliflower

  • Rinse and then break or chop the cauliflower in small florets. You will need about 3 to 3.25 cups chopped cauliflower florets.

  • In a pan or saucepan take 2.5 cups water and add ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring the water to a rolling boil.

  • Switch off the flame and keep the pan on the kitchen countertop. Add the cauliflower florets. Blanch for 5 minutes.

  • Drain all the water and keep the blanched cauliflower aside.

  • Meanwhile thinly slice 1 small capsicum (green bell pepper) and 2 medium sized spring onion whites (scallions). Finely chop 1.5 inches ginger, 5 to 6 medium to large garlic cloves and slit 2 to 3 green chillies. Keep aside.

making batter for chilli gobi

  • Take all-purpose flour and corn flour (corn starch) in a mixing bowl.


  • Also add salt as required. I added 1 teaspoon rock salt. If using iodized salt, then add ⅓ to ½ teaspoon depending on taste. Note that the sauces will also have salt, so go easy on the salt. 

  • Add kashmiri red chilli powder, black pepper powder, soy sauce and sweet red chilli sauce or sweet chilli garlic sauce or sriracha sauce

  • Add 1 cup water in parts and begin to mix.

  • Add remaining water and make a smooth batter without lumps. depending on the quality and texture of flours, you can add ¾ to 1 cup water. 

  • The batter should have a medium consistency and should not be thick or thin. If the batter looks thin, then add some more all-purpose flour. If batter looks thick then add some more water. Heat oil for deep frying on medium flame.

frying gobi

  • When the oil becomes hot then place some cauliflower florets in the batter. 

  • Coat them with the batter evenly.

  • Slid off the extra coating at the sides of the bowl and place the batter cauliflower florets in the hot oil. add less portion of the florets in the oil and do not overcrowd the pan or kadai or wok.

  • When one side becomes golden and crisp, turn over each florets. Flip for a couple of times more, so that the florets are evenly fried, golden and crisp.

  • Do note that the cauliflower fritters will stick to each other while frying. Thus add less portion of the florets in oil. Also as soon as you add them stir with a spoon so that they do not stick. In case they stick, then fry them together as one whole. Once you place them on paper towels then break them when they become less hot.

  • Remove the fried gobi florets with a slotted spoon or spider spoon. Fry gobi florets in 3 to 5 batches depending on the size of the kadai or wok. 

  • Place the fried gobi florets on a kitchen paper towel for extra oil to be absorbed.

making the sauce base for chilli gobi

  • Heat 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a pan or wok or kadai. Use peanut oil or sunflower oil if you do not have toasted sesame oil. Gingelly oil made from raw sesame seeds can also be used.

  • Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger and 2 to 3 slit green chillies.

  • Sauté them for some seconds till the raw aroma of both ginger and garlic goes away.

  • Then add ½ cup sliced spring onion whites and ⅓ cup thinly sliced capsicum.

  • Mix and then increase the flame to medium or medium-high after adding the onions and capsicum.

  • Then stir non-stop and stir fry onions till they become translucent. If the base starts looking browned then reduce the flame.

  • When the onions turn translucent, then lower the flame and add 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sweet red chilli sauce. You can add sweet chilli garlic sauce or sriracha sauce instead of sweet red chilli sauce. 

  • Mix the sauces very well with the onions and capsicum. 

making chilli gobi

  • Now add the fried cauliflower florets.

  • Add ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and salt as per taste. Add a few pinches of salt as the sauces and fried cauliflower florets already have salt in them.

  • Increase the flame to medium or medium-high. Mix and toss well. Switch off the flame. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon mirin or ½ teaspoon rice wine or rice vinegar or white vinegar. Mix again. Check the taste and add more sauces, pepper, salt and sugar if required.

  • Sprinkle 2 tablespoons spring onion greens.

  • Serve gobi chilli hot or else crispiness reduces. Garnish with some spring onion greens while serving.

  • Chop cauliflower in small florets to get a crispy texture. Large cauliflower florets will give a less crispy texture. Also, do not chop the cauliflower too small as you don’t want to spend too much time frying them.
  • Deep fry the florets to get a really good crispy texture. 
  • It is always better to blanch cauliflower as this will get rid of insects and worms in the cauliflower. The frying time is also reduced.
  • Keep all the ingredients ready before you begin to stir fry them. 
  • This recipe can be easily halved. 
  • If possible then please do use naturally fermented soy sauce.
  • Do not add too much of the sauces as the taste may not be good in the final dish.
  • Adding kashmiri red chilli powder gives a deep orangish red color in this chilli gobi recipe and looks good too. You can even use deghi mirch powder instead of kashmiri red chilli powder.
  • Balance is a key point in all indo chinese recipes. So do keep a check when adding the sauces and spices and don’t go overboard. 

Nutrition Facts

Chilli Gobi (Cauliflower Chilli)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 292 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 358mg16%

Potassium 365mg10%

Carbohydrates 43g14%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 690IU14%

Vitamin C 65.6mg80%

Calcium 41mg4%

Iron 2.1mg12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Chilli Gobi post from the archives, originally published in May 2019 has been updated and republished on February 2023.



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