Sweet and Sour Crispy Tofu Rips with Sticky Fried Rice — a plant-based Other recipe by BOSH!
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Sweet and Sour Crispy Tofu Rips with Sticky Fried Rice

This one is a proper weeknight banger and we honestly can't stop making it. Crispy tofu strips coated in a sticky, tangy sweet and sour sauce with just a little kick from harissa, piled on top of golden fried rice. It's that perfect combo of crunchy, saucy and deeply satisfying, the kind of thing that makes you forget you're eating plants. The pineapple juice in the sauce is a game changer, it gives that classic sweet and sour flavour that just works so well. Forty-five minutes and you've got something that feels like a proper treat on a Tuesday night. Make it tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 45 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Small saucepan
  • Small saucepan with lid
  • Mixing bowl
  • Microplane or fine grater
  • Tongs
  • Fork
  • 2x medium frying pans

Ingredients

  • 2 x 280g packets of extra firm tofu - drained
  • 4 tbsp cornflour
  • 2 red peppers
  • vegetable oil - for shallow frying
  • Salt & pepper - to taste
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 thumb sized piece of ginger
  • 2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp tomato purée
  • 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
  • 1 tbsp harissa paste
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 100ml pineapple juice
  • salt
  • 25g plant-based butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 140g Jasmine rice
  • 330ml water
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 lime

Method

1

Make the sweet & sour sauce

  • Peel and grate the garlic cloves and ginger
  • Place into a small saucepan over a medium heat, along with the soy sauce, tomato purée, ketchup, harissa, brown sugar, pineapple juice and a pinch of salt
  • Mix well until everything comes together and bring to the boil
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer for a couple of minutes until the mixture turns into a thick, sticky sauce - you can add a dash of water if it ever becomes too thick
2

Cook the rice

  • Place a small saucepan over a medium heat and add the plant-based butter
  • Once melted, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the rice, mix well and fry for a couple of seconds before pouring in the water and adding the turmeric, mirin and soy sauce
  • Bring the rice and the water to the boil
  • Once boiling, turn the heat down to a low simmer and cover the rice with a lid
  • Cook for 12 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed by the rice
  • After 12 minutes, leave the rice to rest for 10 minutes with the lid on
3

Prepare the tofu rips and peppers

  • Rip the tofu into long chunks and place into a mixing bowl
  • Add the cornflour and a good pinch of salt and pepper
  • Toss (or stir) to completely coat the tofu pieces
  • Roughly chop the peppers into bite-sized chunks
4

Cook the tofu and peppers

  • Warm 1cm of vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat until the end of a wooden spoon bubbles gently
  • Once warm enough, add the coated tofu chunks to the pan and fry, turning constantly with tongs until golden and really crispy (approx 10 mins)
  • Once cooked, transfer the tofu pieces to the plate and leave to drain
  • Cook the peppers; place a separate pan over a medium heat (we use the one we used previously for the sweet & sour sauce) and add a drizzle of olive oil
  • Once warm, add the peppers and a pinch of salt, mix well and cook for a few minutes until soft
5

Time to serve

  • Fluff the rice with a fork and mix through the soy sauce and a squeeze of lime juice
  • Finely slice the spring onions
  • Add the tofu and peppers to the sauce and toss to coat
  • Transfer the tofu pieces to a serving plate, garnish with spring onions, sesame seeds and some lime wedges on the side
  • Serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Press your tofu well: The drier your tofu before you cook it, the crispier it gets. We usually wrap it in a clean tea towel and press it under a heavy pan for at least 15 minutes before we start.
  • Adjust the heat: If you're not big on spice, start with less harissa and taste as you go. You can always add more but you can't take it away.
  • Make extra sauce: Honestly, we always double the sweet and sour sauce. It keeps in the fridge for a few days and is incredible drizzled over noodles, roasted veg or even as a dipping sauce.

Why This Works

The trick is getting your tofu properly crispy before it ever meets the sauce. If it's golden and crunchy going in, it holds its own against that sticky glaze instead of going soggy. The sauce itself is all about balance, the harissa gives it a little edge that stops it being too sweet, and simmering it down until it's thick and glossy means every piece of tofu gets properly coated. Trust us on this one.