This crispy, juicy, succulent Sweet and Sour Tofu takes me back to days when I’d lap up sweet and sour pork take away from the local. I’ve basically tried to make that but with tofu instead and maaaan was it a good job! We all know Chinese food in England isn’t authentic Chinese food, but that’s not to say it tastes bad. I’ve grown up with sweet and sour chicken and it’s a taste I will never forget or want to leave behind. Though my days of chicken-eating are over, my sweet and sour cravings are still prominent. That tender, succulent meat surrounded by a crisp, chewy batter soaked in sticky sweet red sauce- I’m drooling already.
So how to get around this? I made Kentucky fried tofu not long ago (recipe already on the blog) so I know it’s possible to achieve a chicken-like texture with frozen tofu that has been thawed. Replace the chicken with this shizzle and there you have it, sweet and sour chicken (without the chicken, but seriously just as delish).
Sweet and Sour Tofu
Serving size:
Serves 4
Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Tofu:
- 400g firm tofu frozen then thawed
- 100g cornstarch
- 1 red pepper sliced
- 1 medium pineapple chopped
- 200g sliced mushrooms
- 1 onion sliced
- 5 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tsp crushed fresh ginger
- 3 tbsp tamari/soy sauce
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- Salt to taste
- 200ml water
- 1 tsbp sesame oil
- Rapeseed oil to fry
Method:
- Lightly pan fry the onions, ginger and garlic before adding the mushrooms and peppers.
- Cook until tender then leave aside.
- Coat the tofu strips in cornstarch and fry on each side, around 3-5 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
- To a saucepan, add the sesame oil, vinegar, tomato puree, tamari, sugar and water and bring to a boil.
- Allow to simmer then add the pineapple and prepared vegetables, adding more water if necessary.
- Finally, slowly stir in the tofu.
Made this Recipe?
If you had a go at this sweet and sour, please feel free to give me a shout on Instagram at @food_flaneur – would love to see your pics!
If you like sweet and sour…
You should definitely give these recipes a try:
Big Thanks to…
Rasa Malaysia for their inspiration in helping me to create this recipe. You can find their version here.