Vegan Sweet and Sour Chicken
Sweet and sour tofu is one of my top dishes to order from the Chinese takeaway but I try to cook at home as much as possible to save money so this dish is a game changer when I’m craving a takeaway treat without the price tag.
I tear up extra firm tofu into meat like chunks and coat in corn starch for that crispy exterior before drenching in that sweet, sour sticky sauce that makes this dish irresistible.
To make this healthier I pair mine with plain boiled rice rather than fried rice and stir fried pak choi and tenderstem broccoli so I feel lighter after eating and haven’t overindulged.
This dish is perfect as a weekend treat or even a week night meal. Be sure to make plenty so you can take it to work in Tupperware the next day as it also reheats well.
Vegan Chinese tofu ingredients and substitutes
- Tofu – The tofu that is best for this recipe is extra firm tofu to ensure the firm pieces that don’t break apart. If you want to go one up on texture freeze your tofu and thaw out before using. This increases the pockets inside the tofu to capture more or the sauce and makes the texture more meat like. You could use any protein or vegetable for this recipe- the sauce is versatile.
- Corn starch – Dusting your tofu in corn starch helps get that golden crispy exterior and also and also can help to thicken the sauce.
- Tinned pineapple- A sweet fruit element of this dish is the pineapple. Make sure to get the tinned pineapple in juice and not syrup as the juice is also used for the sauce. You can use fresh pineapple if you like but you’ll have to account for the juice not being in the sauce by adding extra water. The pineapple adds a nice touch but is not essential so you can leave it out if you prefer.
- Tomato ketchup – This sounds like a strange thing to add but trust me it works! You can also use tomato puree if you like.
- Rice wine vinegar- This gives the sauce the sour element. You can find this in big supermarkets, in a Chinese supermarket or online. If you cant find this substitute with white wine vinegar.
How to make sweet and sour sauce
To get Chinese takeaway style sweet and sour flavors the sauce is vital. The recipe for takeaway style sweet and sour sauce includes tomato ketchup, rice vinegar, brown sugar, pineapple juice, soy sauce and corn starch to thicken
Q&A
Q- What is in sweet and sour sauce?
A- Sweet and sour sauce is a combination of ketchup, sugar, pineapple juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar and corn starch.
Q- Is sweet and sour sauce gluten free?
A- Typically no due to the soy sauce but you can easily make it gluten free by using tamari in place of soy sauce.
Sweet and Sour Tofu
Ingredients
- 280 g Tofu Extra firm
- 2 tbsp Cornflour
- 1/2 Red bell pepper
- 1/2 Onion
- 20 g Tinned pineapple (keep the juice)
For The Sauce
- 2 tbsp Tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- All of the pineapple juice from the tin
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water
Instructions
- Rip up the tofu into bitesize chunks and coat in 2 tbsp cornflour. Fry off until golden and set aside.
- Dice the onion, bell pepper and pineapple (if not diced already).
- Fry the onions for 1 minute, add the peppers and cook for 5 minutes adding the pineapple in the last minute.
- Add the tofu back into the pan with the veg.
- Mix up all of the sauce ingredients and pour into the pan. Cook until the sauce becomes sticky.
- Serve up with some sticky rice and your favourite stir fried veg.
Notes
If you liked this be sure to check out some of my other Chinese inspired recipes
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