Sweet and sour tofu
Golden tofu, juicy pineapple and crisp green pepper in a glossy sweet and sour sauce made from pantry staples, brighter and less gloopy than the takeout kind.
- 60 min total
- 35 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.38 a serving
- 740 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 packages extra-firm tofu, drained
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 1 can canned pineapple chunks, drained, juice saved
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks green onions, thinly sliced (optional)
From your pantry
- 2¼ cups water
- ½ tsp salt, divided
- 3 tbsp cornstarch, divided
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
Each serving has about 740 calories, 31 g protein, 104 g carbs and 23 g fat, and costs about $2.38 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No extra-firm tofu? Firm tofu works.
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No green bell peppers? Red bell peppers or yellow bell peppers work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Wrap both blocks of tofu in a clean towel, side by side, and press them under something heavy for 15 minutes.
Timer: 15 min
Dolly’s tip: Pressing makes room for the sauce to soak in and helps the outside crisp.Meanwhile, the rice and bring it in a with the water and ¼ teaspoon salt over high heat.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Stir once, cover, and cook on low for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave the lid on until you serve.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
½ cup of the saved pineapple juice with the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a bowl.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Cut the tofu into 1-inch and with the remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick over medium-high heat.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Medium-high heat
Fry the tofu in two batches, turning every few minutes, until and , about 10 minutes a batch.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Medium-high heatTimer: 10 min
Dolly’s tip: Two batches feels slow, but a crowded pan steams the tofu soft. One layer with gaps is the rule.Food safety: Tofu is safe to eat straight from the package; cooking is only for texture and flavor.
Move it to a plate.
Add the last tablespoon of oil, the pepper and onion, and 3 to 4 minutes, until bright and .
Stir-fry. Stir-frying means cooking small pieces fast over high heat in a little oil, stirring almost constantly. It moves quickly, so have everything chopped and ready before the pan gets hot.
How you’ll know: It sizzles loudly the whole time, and the vegetables turn bright and tender-crisp in minutes.
Tender-crisp. Tender-crisp means vegetables cooked until just tender but still with a little snap. They keep their bright color and crunch instead of going soft and dull.
How you’ll know: A fork goes in with slight resistance, and the color is bright, not olive or gray.
Medium-high heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Add the garlic and pineapple chunks and cook 1 minute more.
Medium-high heatTimer: 1 min
Stir the sauce, pour it in, and let it bubble about 1 minute, until glossy and thick. Add the tofu and to coat.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Medium-high heatTimer: 1 min
Dolly’s tip: Stir the sauce right before it goes in. The cornstarch sinks while it waits.Spoon over the rice and top with green onions.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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