Cultural Remix: Tofu & Veg Fried Rice with Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce

Tofu & Veg Fried Rice with Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce

When the Chinese introduced their cuisine into India, little did they would have expected to see that the ever-adapting Indian would re-invent some of their most time-tested recipes to suit the sub-continental palate. Yes, I am talking of Indo-Chinese food. I can see the surprised look at my non-Indian blogger friends. What the heck is Indo-Chinese cuisine? Well my friends first let me give you a brief history lesson on Indo-Chinese food which is one of the most favoured type of cuisine in India.

Indo-Chinese cuisine is believed to have originated with the Chinese migrants who settled in one of the metropolitan cities of India, Calcutta or currently known as Kolkata. India has one Chinatown, Tangra in Calcutta and the Chinese have been living there for more than a century. It is believed that over a century the food is adapted to suit local ingredients and adjusting the flavours to reflect the local palate. So my friends, in simple words Indo-Chinese cuisine are adaptation of Chinese seasonings and cooking techniques to Indian taste and in my opinion one of the best cultural remix.

Indo-Chinese food sells like one hot potato in every nook and corner of any city and towns. Don’t be surprised to see small wooden push carts painted with funny looking dragons with fire coming out of their mouth or the bamboo trees selling Indo-Chinese food. You can never miss the irresistible smell of cooking garlic, onions and chillies which will grab your attention even from 500 meters distance and you will be drawn to these carts with sudden hunger pangs. Price-wise the food is dirt cheap for a plate of very filling and utterly delicious Indo-Chinese food. If you are backing away from eating this fusion food at roadside carts due to hygiene concern then fret not. Most of the small and big restaurant in India has Indo-Chinese food on their menu and even star hotels have their share. But in my opinion the best Indo-Chinese food I have ever tasted are from these roadside stalls which are not just tasty and cheap but real fun to eat.

And the best part is it is really quick and easy to cook. Now you really don’t have to make a trip to India just to eat this delicacy;) It requires very few ingredients and almost all these ingredients can be found in any grocery store or supermarkets. Indo-Chinese food is a bachelor friendly recipe as its super easy and super quick and super tasty. Today I am sharing two of my favourite Indo-Chinese food; Tofu & Vegetable Fried Rice with Vegetables in Sweet and Sour Sauce. Packed with colourful vegetables, these recipes are very easy to make as they are simply stir fried for few mins. This way they not just retain their crunch but also their nutrition. As you can see, you can use any type of vegetables of your choice and there is no way you can go wrong with these recipes. Off these two dishes go to DK’s AWED-Chinese and Mansi’s Healthy Cooking events. Mansi, you can’t deny the fact that these are really healthy ones. Well, look at the number of vegetables used and the way they are cooked ;) This is also my entry for WBB-Summer Feast hosted by me where I have used many Summer vegetables and it serves as the wonderful weekend brunch.

Tofu & Veg Fried Rice

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Tofu & Veg Fried Rice
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 10-15 mins
Serves: 3-5

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Ingredients:
1 small Onion, chopped into bite size pieces
½ tbsp Garlic, finely chopped (adjust acc to preference)
1 tsp Ginger, finely chopped
¼ cup Spring Onion
½ cup Bean Sprouts (Optional)
2 Green Chillies, slit
1 cup firm Tofu, drained and cut into bite size pieces
2-2½ cups Mixed Vegetables of your choice, cut into match stick pieces
(I used Red, Green & Orange Bell Peppers, Button Mushrooms, Carrot, Baby Corn, Sweet Corn & Green Peas)
4-5 cups Cooked Rice, cooled completely and grains separated (any long grain rice is fine, I usually use left over basmati or frozen rice pack we get here)
2 tbsp Soya Sauce
¼ tsp Sugar
1 tbsp + 1 tbsp Oil, preferably Sesame Oil
Salt and White Pepper to taste

Vegetables used in Tofu & Veg Fried Rice

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp of Oil in a wok on medium to high heat. When hot add tofu and brown them from all sides. This way you have firm tofu which will not get crushing during frying process. Drain them and keep them aside. If not using Tofu you can omit this step.
Now heat another tbsp of oil at medium to high flame and add finely chopped garlic and ginger. Stir for around 15 seconds until fragrant. Add chopped onions and slit green chilli and sauté it for a minute or two till onions turns translucent.
Turn the heat to high and mix in vegetables, one type at a time, in order of what takes longest to cook. Add Soya sauce and sugar to bring out the flavour and keep sautéing for around 3-4 mins until the vegetables are half a way cooked but still retain their crunch.
Add cooked, cooled rice, salt and pepper to taste and tofu pieces and sauté it for a minute or two till each rice grain is heated through.

Sprinkle spring onions greens & bean sprouts before serving hot with Vegetable Sweet and Sour Sauce or Veg Balls in Garlic Sauce and enjoy.

Tofu & Veg Fried Rice

Colourful vegetables are stir fried and then cooked in thick sauce of garlic, red chilli paste and soya sauce with a hint of sweetness from brown sugar and pineapple pieces. This delicious mixed Vegetables in Sweet and Sour Sauce is sure to win your and your loved ones hearts. Serve it with simple Fried Rice or Noodles to make one delicious meal.

Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce

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Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves: 4-6

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Ingredients:
4-6 cups Mixed Vegetables of your choice, chopped into bite size pieces
(I used Red, Green & Orange Bell Peppers, Carrots, Sugar Snaps, Mushrooms, Sweet Corn, Baby Corn & Green Peas)
1 cup Bean Sprouts
¼ cup Pineapple, cut into bite sized pieces (optional, but recommended)
½ cup Spring Onion Greens, finely chopped
1 medium Red Onion, chopped into bite size pieces
½ tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger, finely chopped
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped (Optional)
2-3 tbsp Tomato Ketchup (adjust acc to taste)
2 tbsp Soya Sauce (adjust acc to taste)
1 tbsp Teriyaki Sauce (Optional)
½ tbsp Red Chilli Paste (adjust acc to taste)
1½-2 tbsp Corn Flour, mixed with ¼ cup of water to make lump free paste
½-1 tbsp Brown Sugar (adjust acc to taste)
4-6 cups Water (adjust)
1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp Oil, preferably Sesame Oil
Salt and White Pepper to taste

Vegetables used for Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce

Method:

Heat oil in a wok at medium to high flame and when hot add chopped ginger and garlic. Sauté it for 15 seconds till fragrant and then add finely chopped green chilli and red onion and sauté it for a minute till onion turns translucent.
Increase the heat to high and start adding vegetables, one type at a time, in order of what takes longest to cook. Sauté it on high flame continuously for 3-4 mins till they are half a way cooked through. Mix in tomato ketchup, Soya sauce, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar and red chilli paste. Keep stirring for another 30 seconds or so.
Now add water till all the vegetables are just cover. Mix in pineapple pieces, salt and pepper to taste and cook for a minute or so. Slowly add corn flour paste to the pot, stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed. Keep stirring the sauce till it starts to thicken and reduce the heat to medium. Once the sauce is thick enough, switch off the flame and gently mixes in lime juice, bean sprouts and half of spring onion greens.
Serve this delicious Vegetable in Sweet and Sour Sauce garnished with remaining spring onion greens with Vegetable Fried Rice and enjoy.

Vegetables in Sweet & Sour Sauce

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Note:

Other Indo-Chinese fusion recipes blogged so far

• Veg Spring Rolls
  
• Gobi Manchurian
• Baby Corn Manchurian
• Veg Fried Rice
• Veg Balls in Garlic Sauce
• Crispy Stuffed Mushrooms

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Reminder: WBB-Summer Feast

For this edition of WBB, your challenge is to cook anything with summer fruits and vegetables. Yes, the theme is WBB-Summer Feast. Go to your town/city’s Farmer’s Market and pick fresh season’s produce and make your favourite breakfast or brunch and join in the Summer Feast.

Deadline: 31st July, 2008

Please go through the guidelines and include all the required information in your post and mail when sending me your entry. Don't forget to add Your Name, Your Blog Name, Name of the Dish you cooked, Perm Link of the entry, Perm Link of original recipe along with the gorgeous Photo of final dish.

Click Here or on the logo to find out more information on this event.

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