Sticky, sweet and flavourful – as basic as it is, I’m a huge fan of sweet & sour sauce. Let’s face it, it’s not the healthiest option to choose on the menu, but with a few easy tweaks we’ll get there. I attach so many nostalgic memories to that particular sauce as I used to go to my local Asian restaurant with my girlfriends or my family and I would always look forward to the Sweet & Sour Chicken. I wanted to recreate that delicious dish at home, with lots of added veggies and some vegan protein. I tend not to eat too much fake meat, as it’s highly processed and often not very healthy. However, every now and then I still buy some to discover what’s new on the market and bring some diversity into my kitchen.
My absolute favourite fake chicken is from planted, a Swiss food-tech start up which produces fake chicken from pea protein. They focus on pure ingredients (no additives, no salt) and a sustainable supply chain, which is good for our health and the environment. The consistency is mind-blowing and the flavour is absolutely delicious. I highly recommend you to try it, I would love to hear your feedback!
Sauce
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp cornflour
1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1.5 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese five spice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 orange, juice
Sriracha sauce, to taste
water
Veg
1/2 red onion
1 nectarine
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1 small carrot
a handful of frozen peas
1 small pak choi
Fake chicken & stuff
1 tbsp coconut oil
120g planted chicken
90g brown rice
sesame oil
Serves 1
- Thoroughly wash the brown rice and cook it according to the packet instructions.
- In the meantime, mix the tomato puree, cornflour, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, Chinese five spice, ginger, orange juice and 1 tbsp of Sriracha sauce until the sauce is smooth. Add 1dl of water and combine well. Leave to the side.
- Cut the red onion into fine rings, the nectarine into thin slices, the peppers into strips and the carrot into fine discs.
- Heat the coconut oil in a wok or a big frying pan and add the planted chicken. Fry it on a medium to high heat until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and leave to the side.
- In the same pan, add the red onion, peppers and carrot and stir fry for a couple of minutes.
- Add the nectarine and frozen peas, cook for another couple of minutes.
- Pour in the sauce and turn back the heat slightly. Leave to bubble for a minute, then add the cooked planted chicken.
- Stir everything well and add a splash of water if it thickens too quickly.
- Finally, tear the pak choi into separate leaves and cut the big ones in half. Add it to the pan, stir and leave to wilt for a couple of minutes.
- Do a taste test and add more soy sauce, Sriracha or more water until your desired consistency and taste are reached.
- Serve the sweet & sour chicken in a bowl, along with the cooked brown rice. Drizzle with some sesame oil and enjoy!
Optional:
Are you a tofu lover? I feel you! Replace the planted chicken by tofu, cut it into cubes and cook identically. If you like it spicy, marinate the tofu in some chilli sauce for 15mins before frying.
Not a fan of brown rice? Use brown rice noodles or konjak noodles if you are looking for a healthy alternative. White rice also works nicely though and makes for a more traditional restaurant-style dish.
Want to use different veg? Broccoli, green beans and sugar snap peas definitely work well too. Don’t be afraid and try out whatever combination you fancy, but make sure to cook the veggies super briefly to ensure they keep their nutrients and are still slightly crunchy.
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