Sweet And Sour Vegetables

A most delicious and easy to make vegan stir fry with loads of vegetables and tofu makes this Sweet and sour vegetables one of my favorite. Serve it with some brown rice or jasmine rice and you will never need the take-out again.

My husband is a big fan of Sweet and Sour Vegetables. This is one thing he always orders when we do take-out from a Chinese restaurant. Many restaurants do not have the vegetarian version or the flavors are not up to what he likes in most places.

The only way out of this is making the sweet and sour vegetable curry at home.

Why make this recipe

• First and foremost, you won't have to go in search of a take-out.
• It is so easy to make and literally takes less than 30 minutes.
• Add as many vegetables as you like and I see it as a great way to use up all the leftover bits and pieces of vegetables that are in the refrigerator.
• The sauce is so flavorful and can be easily modified to more sweeter or more spicier version.
• Last but not the least, it is healthy.

How to serve the sweet and sour vegetables?

I usually pair it with rice. My two favorite kinds are the brown rice and he jasmine rice.

We can also serve it over noodles.

Ingredients

To make the curry -

Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipe.

• Tofu - I use extra firm or firm tofu.
• Pineapples - fresh or canned
• Ginger
• Garlic
• Mixed vegetables - I used onion, cabbage, bell pepper, carrots and zucchini.
• Oil

To make the sauce -

• Pineapple juice
• Rice vinegar
• Cornstarch
• Brown sugar
• Soy sauce
• Hot sauce

Step by step process

Make the sauce - Mix all the ingredients needed (1).

• Process the tofu - Drain, dry, cube and shallow fry (2 & 3). We could also air fry the tofu. Lately I have been using my air fryer to fry the tofu.

• Make the sweet and sour vegetable - Saute the vegetables (4 & 5), add the sauce (6) and add the pineapple and tofu (7).

Frequently asked question

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Sweet and Sour Vegetables

A most delicious and easy to make stir fry with loads of vegetables and tofu makes this Sweet and sour vegetables one of my favorite. Serve it with some brown rice or jasmine rice and you will never need the take-out again.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 287kcal

Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

• ▢
  wok

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 block Extra firm or firm tofu 14 or 16 oz
• ▢ 1 cup Pineapples canned or fresh
• ▢ 1 Carrot cut into circles or small cubes
• ▢ 1 Onion Sliced
• ▢ 1 Bell pepper any color of your choice (Cut into small cubes)
• ▢ 1 Zucchini sliced
• ▢ 1 cup Baby Bok Choy or cabbage chopped
• ▢ 1 tsp Ginger grated
• ▢ 3 cloves Garlic minced
• ▢ 3 tbsp Vegetable oil

To make the sauce –

• ▢ 1 cup Pineapple juice drained from the canned pineapple or fresh
• ▢ 4 tbsp Rice vinegar can be substituted with regular vinegar
• ▢ 1 tbsp Corn starch mixed with 4 tbsp of water
• ▢ 3 tbsp Brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tsp Soy sauce
• ▢ 2 tsp Hot sauce depending on your spice level

Instructions

• Mix all the ingredients listed under the sauce and keep aside.
• Drain the tofu and pat it dry. I generally wrap the drained tofu in between layers of paper towels or kitchen cloth and place some weight on it to drain all the water out of it. After about 15 mins, cut the tofu into 1 inch cubes. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok or a large pan and add the cut tofu. Shallow fry it until light golden brown, drain and keep aside.
• After removing the tofu from the wok, add the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in the same wok. Once the oil heats up add the sliced onions and sauté until light brown.
• Then add the ginger and garlic and fry for a minute.Now add all the chopped vegetables except the Bok Choy and stir fry on high heat until cooked but still has a crunch.
• Now add the Bok Choy and cook for 3-4 more mins until the Bok Choy softens a bit.
• Mix the prepared sauce well and add it to the vegetables.
• Let the sauce come to a boil and then add the pineapple chunks and the fried tofu to the curry.
• Let the curry simmer for 3-4 mins until it thickens to the desired consistency.Serve hot over rice.

Notes

Frequently asked questions - 

 

What kind of vegetables to add?

We can add any vegetables that we would for a stir fry. I usually add onion, cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, broccoli and zucchini. We could also add mushrooms.

Do we have to add the pineapples?

Pineapple is what gives the sweet component of the sweet and sour. I would not skip it.

What kind of pineapple to use - canned or fresh?

It is a personal preference and we can add any that we have in hand. I like to make this curry anytime I buy a fresh pineapple. But I also always have couple of canned pineapples at home for the ease.

What kind of tofu to use?

I always go with extra firm or firm tofu. make sure to drain it and squeeze all the extra moisture before proceeding.

How to meal prep to make this sweet and sour vegetables?

Chop all the vegetables and keep it ready. The tofu can be left to drain inside the refrigerator. Also make the sauce and refrigerate. All we have to do is cook and serve.

What is the substitution for pineapple juice?

we could use orange juice or broth or even plain water.

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 3618IU | Vitamin C: 84mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!