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- Jan 7

Sweet and Sour Tofu Stir Fry

Watch How to Make it Here

This recipe starts at 00:55

The sweet and sour stir fry has become a very well known westernized Cantonese dish, which is especially popular when ordering take-out. It is quick and very easy to make, so especially good after a long and busy day.

Sweet and Sour Tofu Stir Fry

Recipe PDF

▸ ▹ Vegan, gluten-free, nut-free

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 20 min Total Time: 30 min

INGREDIENTS: Tofu

1 block (450 g) extra firm tofu, cut into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes

2 Tbsp (30 mL) sodium-reduced soy sauce (or sub tamari if GF)

¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch (or sub arrowroot starch)

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil

INGREDIENTS: Sweet & Sour Sauce

½ cup (120 mL) pineapple juice, from a can of pineapple chunks

¼ cup (60 mL) rice vinegar

¼ cup (55 g) tomato paste

3 Tbsp (45 mL) sodium-reduced soy sauce (or sub tamari if GF)

2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp (6 g) cornstarch (or sub arrowroot starch)

1 tsp (3 g) freshly grated ginger

INGREDIENTS: Stir Fry

1½ cup (285 g) dry pandan rice, washed, drained**

2 tsp (10 mL) vegetable oil

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 large carrot, finely chopped

1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (we used ½ a green and ½ a red bell pepper)

½ cup (100 g) canned pineapple chunks*

Optional Garnish

green onion, thinly sliced

Directions

To a large shallow bowl, add the tofu cubes and soy sauce, and gently toss to coat. Then add the cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Gently stir until all the pieces are well coated.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, and add in the oil. When hot, add the tofu and cook the tofu for 7 - 10 minutes, or until it's crispy and golden on all sides. Don't disturb the tofu too much while it's cooking, otherwise, it might crumble. Only stir it every couple of minutes.
While the tofu cooks, make the sauce: to a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce.
If choosing to enjoy this stir fry with rice, now is the time to start cooking it according to the package instructions.
When the tofu is golden, transfer it to a bowl and set it aside.
Returning the same large pan to the heat, add the oil, onion, and carrot. Cook for 4 - 5 minutes.
Then add the bell peppers and pineapple chunks, and cook for another minute.
Add the sweet & sour sauce to the veggies in the pan, along with the tofu. Let it simmer for 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens a bit.
Remove it from the heat, and enjoy it on its own, or serve with rice and garnish with green onions.

Notes

* Instead of stpandan rice is a sticky short-grain rice, but feel free to use another other variety of rice you'd prefer here, such as basmati, brown rice, or wild rice. Noodles would also work really well with this recipe.
** Variations: pandan rice is a sticky short grain rice, but feel free to use another other variety of rice you'd prefer here, such as basmati, brown rice, or wild rice. Noodles would also work really well with this recipe.
Storage: the tofu can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.