Published 18:19 IST, February 5th 2024

Gobi Manchurian Ban: Goan City Of Mapusa Prohibits The Sale Of Popular Dish | Details Inside

Gobi Manchurian's origins can be found in its non-vegetarian equivalent, chicken Manchurian.

Reported by: Pritam Saha
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Mapusa: A brave move has been made by the Goan city of Mapusa, which has banned the famous dish Gobi Manchurian from food carts and special events. The FDA has already instructed the Mormugao Municipal Council during the Vasco Saptah fair in 2022 to ban the sale of Gobi Manchurian, therefore this action by the Mapusa Municipal Council is not unprecedented in Goa. 

Gobi Manchurian Vs Traditional Local Dish

For a long time, foodies have loved Gobi Manchurian, a fusion meal made of cauliflower florets coated in a hot red sauce. But the dish's rise to prominence has been caused by the conflict between local food preferences and worries about artificial coloring and hygiene. These measures, together with worries about artificial coloring and sanitation, led to FDA raids on food stands in an effort to reduce the dish's popularity. This restriction is a part of a larger cultural discussion about the influence of the dish's popularity on traditional local cuisine. 

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Origin Of Gobi Manchurian

Gobi Manchurian's origins can be found in its non-vegetarian equivalent, chicken Manchurian. During his time as a caterer at the Cricket Club of India in the 1970s, Nelson Wang, a pioneer of Chinese cuisine in Mumbai, is credited for creating chicken Manchurian. The meal consists of spicy cornflour-baked deep-fried chicken nuggets served either dry or with a tart gravy comprised of vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and sometimes tomato sauce. With time, gobi manchurian became the more well-liked vegetarian substitute for its chicken version. 

Concerns concerning the future of Gobi Manchurian in the area are raised by the recent prohibitions in Goa, which emphasize the continuous conflict between preserving regional culinary traditions and embracing foods with global influences.

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18:19 IST, February 5th 2024