For the last post in this week’s fakeaway series I bring my version of that takeout classic, Sweet and Sour. Sweet and sour is a classic takeout dish but not very Chinese. I have memories of ordering takeout for a girls night and a friend from China went from excited to horrified. She couldn’t believe that this sticky, sweet dish was what we considered part of her nation foods. If we’re honest it’s not, it’s one of those dishes that was dreamt up to satisfy the palate of westerners. I have to admit, I love it irrespective of where it came from!
In the recipe below I’ve used tofu but if you can easily substitute in any vegetable with a low water content like cauliflower. If you want the same texture but don’t want to have to work with soy then try Burmese tofu. For another high protein option then try tempeh. I make my own based on black beans and seeds to a have a good complete protein source without turning to soy. What ever you use, the cooking method is the same. The batter is easy to make as well as extra crispy so it can retain its crunchy while still covered in the tasty sauce.
So if you’ve got a craving for a takeout classic, whip together this sweet and sour in double quick time. So tasty!
- Makes: Serves 4
Ingredients
For the Batter:
- 95g Superfine White Rice flour*
- 30g Potato Starch*
- 15g Tapioca Flour*
- 1 tsp Salt
- 25g Chickpea Flour
- 370ml Sparkling Water, chilled
- Oil for frying
For the Sweet & Sour:
- 500g Firm Tofu**, cut into 2cm cubes
- 2 Peppers (preferably red and green), cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 Large Onion, roughly chopped
- 250g Pineapple chunks, I use frozen that have been defrosted overnight
- 100g Sugar
- 60ml Rice Vinegar
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce Substitute (See allergy note below)
- 60 ml Ketchup
- 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp Water
Directions
Like most stir fry cooking, I’m going to suggest that you do your prep work before anything else. Set the peppers and onions aside together. To make up your sweet and sour sauce, mix together the sugar, vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, and ketchup into a thin sauce. Now mix together the water and cornstarch to make up the thickener.
Mix together the dry ingredients of the batter. Half fill a deep pan with oil and heat to between 170-180 C (325-350 F). Keeping an eye on the oil at all times, mix the cold sparkling water into the dry ingredients until you have a smooth, thick batter almost like double cream. Toss the tofu in the batter until evenly coated. Deep fry the tofu in the hot oil in small batches, making sure they don’t stick together. Remove from the oil when the tofu turns a light golden brown and drain on paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
Put a wok on a high heat with a touch of oil. When the pan is hit and the oil starts to shimmer, throw in the vegetables you put aside earlier and stir fry until just softened, this should take no more than 2 minutes. turn the heat down to medium high and add both the pineapple and sauce mix. Sautee until heated through and taste. At this point take a moment to balance out the sauce, if it’s too sweet add a touch more vinegar, too sour then add more sugar, and don’t forget to add a touch more soy sauce if you feel it needs more saltiness. Gradually mix in the cornstarch thickener, stirring constantly, and bring up to a slow simmer. Simmer until the sauce has thickened before adding the tofu and tossing well.
Serve immediately, maybe with my vegan egg fried rice.
Notes
* If you don’t have these flours to hand then feel free to sub in 140g of GF flour- but I’d suggest tossing the tofu with a little cornstarch first if you do this to help the batter stick.
**If you don’t want to use tofu then this recipe works well with cauliflower or tempeh. See my note above.
Allergy Notes; you may be a little tired of this note by now but those of you that don’t know, I’m going to keep saying this – Soy Sauce is NOT gluten free as the brewing process contains wheat. A good gluten free option is Tamari which normally (not always! check your brand) contains no gluten, is slightly less salty, and thicker than soy sauce. We use coconut aminos in our house, while not quite as rich as soy sauce, it’s both gluten free and soy free but different brands vary tremendously – you may have to look around before finding one that suits you.
This recipe is easily vegan, gluten free and nut free. If you want to avoid soy completely then take a look at my blurb before the recipe but cauliflower, Burmese tofu and soy free tempeh are all good options here.
