Crispy Tofu Sweet & Sour

Crispy Tofu Sweet & Sour

This delicious crispy tofu sweet and sour is a takeaway favourite. Here's how you can make your own vegan version of the dish!

Ingredients

250g basmati rice

2 tsp Cornflower

300g Firm tofu

1 tbsp Rice wine vinegar

50g Chilli jam

1 Tin of pineapple

3 Garlic cloves

1 tbsp Ginger paste

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp agave nectar

 

Suggested vegetables:

French beans

Red pepper 

Sweetcorn

Soya beans

But really you can pick your own. Fresh, tinned, or frozen it doesn't really matter. You need combined a couple of good handfuls worth of veg for this recipe.

Method: 

Step 1

Drain the tofu and pat dry, I like to do this in the morning and leaving the tofu to air dry for a coup of hours in the fridge. Cut it into 2cm sized square pieces. Mix them into a bowl with 1tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp of cornflour. Mix all of this together in a bowl to fully coat the tofu. 

Heat some vegetable oil in a wide-based pan on a high heat. Once it's hot, add your coated tofu and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Once it's golden and crispy, put the tofu to one side. You'll need to use this pan again shortly.

Step 2 

In a pot with a lid, add the rice to about 400ml of cold water. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low heat and cook until the water has been absorbed. This should take about 10 minutes. Put the rice to one side, keeping the lid on the pot and don't be tempted to peek until near the end.

Step 3

Remove the seeds from your pepper, and cut it into thin strips. Slice your other veg in to the desired shape you're after. Smash your garlic carefully with the back of a knife and roughly chop. Put your pan back on a medium heat with a glug of the oil. Throw your veg, garlic and ginger paste in and fry for a couple of minutes. Add a splash of water and let the veg cook a little (I don't like my veg over cooked but you can cook longer as desired)

Step 4

While that's cooking - add that last teaspoon of cornflour to a bowl with 150ml of boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add the rest of the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, agave nectar, chilli jam, and tomato paste. 

Step 5 

Drain the pineapple. Add the pineapple, the sweet and sour sauce to your veg and cook for a couple of minutes until it thickens a little. Once the sauce starts to get sticky throw in your diced pineapple. Stir everything together and cook for another minute or two, before serving over the cooked rice.

 Enjoy!