Why there's a growing call to ban Gobi Manchurian in Goa

For food-loving Goans, there’s something fishy going on with the extremely popular Indo-Chinese fusion dish, the Gobi Manchurian.

This dish, which is made by coating batter-fried cauliflower florets in a sweet spicy tangy sauce, is a staple in Indian menus. According to some reports, it was first created by the famous Kolkata-born chef Nelson Wang by mixing cauliflower pieces with vinegar, soya sauce and corn-starch along with onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies.

Waging a war

But, Goans who love their fiery vindaloo, have become highly suspicious about this red-hued Gobi Manchurian and are increasingly viewing it with a jaundiced eye. They seem to have declared a war against this ubiquitious dish found in street-side stalls and on fancy menus in five star hotels. For Goa’s Mapusa Municipal council has cracked down on this dish by banning its sale in stalls and feasts.

This move seems to be spearheaded by Mapusa councillor Tarak Arolkar, who had called for a ban on Gobi Manchurian at the Bodgeshwar temple fest last month.

The Mapusa council has heeded his call and banished the dish. Earlier too, the dish evoked much hatred after the FDA swooped down on stalls selling Gobi Manchurian at the Shree Damodar temple’s Vasco saptah fair. At that time, the FDA told the Mormugao MCouncil to restrict stalls selling this vegetarian appetiser. It became a common practice for the FDA to raid fairs in Goa and catch vendors red-handed cooking up this dish in allegedly unhygienic conditions.

So, what’s the beef against India’s most commonplace vegetarian fusion dish? According to news reports, the dish got into hot water with the authorities after they found that the Gobi Manchurian was being cooked in unhygienic conditions in the stalls at the fairs. Also, they believed that it's cooked with synthetic colours and dodgy sauces are used. There’s also a widespread belief among the Goans that a dollop of clothes washing powder is used to cook this dish.

This appetiser is usually made with cauliflower, corn flour, soya sauce, vinegar, chilli sauce and ginger and garlic. Since it is a fusion dish like our idli Manchurian and Chinese chaat, there is an element of improvisation! It is not clear if washing powder is really used but Goan government authorities have said, according to news reports, that unhygienic conditions and the use of sythentic colours are the main reasons for the ban.

But, the FDA allegedly also found sub-standard sauces and a powder being used by vendors to make the dish crisper which prompted them to raid the stalls. The stalls have been strictly told not to make and sell this dish anymore.

Goans seem to have put their foot down and have said no to this appetiser.Will this anti-Gobi Manchurian wave spread to other cities too?