Gluten Free Regina

This recipe is taken from jessicainthekitchen.com

This Sweet and Sour Tofu is one of my favourite comfort foods ever of my favourite takeout! The tofu is crisp with a perfect texture and the sweet and sour sauce is unbelievably delicious! It comes together quickly and tastes amazing as meal prep too!

I’ve been making this sweet and sour sauce since the beginning of ‘Jessiker Bakes’. The first version of JITK, and where I started experimenting with savoury dishes. 10 years later (the sauce was always vegan) I’ve modified it a bit, made the entire dish vegan, and I am finally re-sharing it! I can’t count how many times I’ve made this but it is our #1 go to COMFORT meal. 

None of my local Asian restaurants make sweet and sour tofu. Which is a bummer, but also motivation to make my own. Let me tell you – it is INCREDIBLE! The first time I made it for a blog recipe, Gav and I finished it all that night. I say that with pride. It embodies all the flavours you would expect from a sweet and sour sauce – sweet, tangy, umami filled and so rich in colour and flavour. It comes with my favourite usual add-ins of bell peppers, onions and pineapples, and of course, crispy tofu.

How to Make Tofu Crispy

After years of making tofu, I’m proud to say we know how to make it perfectly crispy. The short answer is: cornstarch. I go into full detail in my How to Cook Tofu 101 blog post, and I highly recommend that you read it. Cornstarch crisps up the tofu while wicking out any excess liquid. It’s also gluten free so works well for that. 

My second tip is to always, always press your tofu. I also say it in my how to cook tofu 101 blog post, it’s not tofu’s job to have flavour. It’s up to us to season it, in fact, I’m glad it barely has a flavour. It takes on anything you want it to. Removing the liquid from tofu allows it space to absorb all the flavour you want it to have. Those two, plus a nice hot pan to crisp it up in will create perfect tofu for this dish and beyond!

Ingredients

CRISPY TOFU

• 1 16 ounce block of firm or extra firm tofu, pressed, and torn into 1 to 2 inch pieces*
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, gluten free if needed, or liquid aminos or tamari
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup oil for frying

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

• 1/2 cup sugar, I use cane sugar, you can use brown or any granulated
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup vinegar, preferably rice or white
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, gluten free if needed, or liquid aminos or tamari
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped/cubed pineapple
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish
• chopped scallion, for garnish

Instructions 

CRISPY TOFU

• In a medium-sized bowl place the pressed and torn tofu pieces. Add the soy sauce and toss to coat. Add in the garlic powder, sea salt, ground black pepper and cornstarch and toss to thoroughly combine, ensuring all the tofu pieces are covered with the seasonings and the cornstarch.
• Heat a pan or wok over medium-high heat, and add the oil. When hot, add the tofu and toss to crisp up on all sides until the tofu is cooked and crisped on all sides, about 5 to 8 minutes. Feel free to do this in batches if desired. Remove tofu pieces and set aside.

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE + PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

• In the same pan, lower the heat to over medium-high heat, and add in the onions, pineapples and bell peppers.
• Saute until the onions are translucent and the pineapples are slightly browned about 5 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, ketchup, vinegar, water, soy sauce, and garlic powder for the sweet and sour sauce and stir together until fully combined.
• Pour the sauce over the veggies. Bring to a slight boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened up. Add back in the crisped-up tofu, and stir to combine. Taste test and add more sugar or soy sauce if you desire. Remove from heat until needed.
• Remove from heat and top with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Serve and enjoy

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