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Find a mouthwatering blending of cuisines in this metro Atlanta dish

Dish of the Week: Gobi Manchurian at Chinese Dhaba
Gobi Manchurian at Chinese Dhaba is made with rough chopped florets of cauliflower that are browned, then stir-fried with aromatics. Angela Hansberger for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gobi Manchurian at Chinese Dhaba is made with rough chopped florets of cauliflower that are browned, then stir-fried with aromatics. Angela Hansberger for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By Angela Hansberger – For the AJC
June 14, 2022

He wanted Chinese food, and I craved Indian.

The answer was clear: Chinese Dhaba, where the Indo-Chinese menu blends Indian spices, aromatics and vegetables with Chinese cooking techniques. It’s the Chinese mastery of searing heat — such as stir-frying in a wok, using soy sauce and rice wine vinegar — combined with Indian cooking’s layering of flavors, with spices that are fried, roasted, ground and also are in the oil.

These techniques are perfected in the dish gobi Manchurian, where rough chopped florets of cauliflower are dry-fried until the surfaces are browned. A coating of cornstarch helps create crispiness, while retaining juiciness inside. Then, they are stir-fried with a generous amount of aromatics: garlic, ginger, chile peppers, chopped onions, spices and scallions.

The interplay is not just in the technique and ingredients, but also in how each bite hits your palate. It’s savory, sweet and resonates with tongue-tingling heat — of which there are four levels from which you choose.

Chinese Dhaba. 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross. 770-416-1997, chinesedhaba.com

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About the Author

Angela Hansberger is a freelance food, spirits, & culture writer who has written for Bon Appetit, Atlanta Magazine, Audubon, and is a contributing writer for the AJC.

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