This is one of the classics you can get over here in the asian restaurants. My husband loves this taste so much that I had to check this recipe out for him.
Now he doesn’t need to buy those jars of sweet-sour sauce anymore. The veggies can be varied however you prefer and of you are open to some additional proteins you will be more than happy about the crispy fried tofu bites we added to this dish.
Asian sweet-sour veggies with crispy tofu
Servings: 4 Personen
Ingredients
Crispy Tofu
- 200 g Tofu
- 1 clove garlic
- 2-3 tbsp soy sauce
- chili
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- oil (for frying)
Sweet-sour sauce
- 120 ml vinegar
- 80 g sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 40 g tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 40 g soy sauce
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 can pineapple (preferably unsweetened, in juice)
- 400 g vegetables (diverse)
Instructions
marinade tofu
- Take the tofu out of the packaging, drain it and wrap it in a kitchen towel. Then place it on a kitchen board (or plate) and put a kitchen board with additional weight on it e.g. a book. The liquid is supposed to be squeezed out of the tofu.
- Finely chop the clove of garlic and place in a bowl with the soy sauce (and chilli if desired).
- Cut the pressed tofu into bite-sized cubes and add to the marinade. Make sure that all cubes get some of the marinade and turn occasionally.
cook sauce
- Drain the pineapple, collecting the juice for later.
- Peel garlic and chop finely.
- Wash vegetables and cut into the desired shape. It is better to keep hard vegetables such as carrots or broccoli small so that the cooking time is shorter.
- Mix vinegar, sugar, salt, tomato paste, garlic, oil and soy sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Then dissolve the cornstarch in a little cold water and add to the pot. Stir diligently while the sauce thickens. Then gradually fill up with some pineapple juice from the can until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Please note that the sauce can become a little more liquid, depending on the vegetables you are going to add.
- Now add the vegetables and pineapple and simmer until the vegetables are cooked. Depending on the different types of vegetables you use, consider the longer cooking times and add the veggies accordingly one after another so that everything has the right consistency in the end.
- While the vegetables are cooking, set up a pan with oil and a shallow bowl with the 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
- Turn the tofu cubes in the cornstarch and fry until crispy. Do not turn too often.
- Now arrange the sauce with the vegetables and the crispy tofu on a serving of rice and enjoy!
Notes
To bring the tofu to taste, it should be well pressed. This can be prepared already some time earlier than preparing the meal itself.
Veggies that don’t need long cooking time like zucchini or mushrooms shoud be put into the sauce at the last 5 min. of cooking to stay fresh and crispy.
Veggies which need more cooking time like e.g. potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower or carrots shoud be put into the sauce first.
Or if you have a rice cooker with steamer insert you may also cook veggies while cooking your rice before adding them to the sauce.
Have your favorite rice like brown rice or basmati rice as side dish to complete this wonderful meal.
