Szechuan sauce is identified by its strong sweet, spicy, sour, and salty flavors. It is mainly used as a dipping sauce but it is also added to many local dishes. In this recipe, vegetables are blanched, then quickly simmered in a delicious and thick Szechuan sauce. As this dish is vegan, fried tofu is used to replace meat. This quick, easy-to-prepare, hearty dish is great for lunch or dinner as a side dish or a main dish. It is also perfect with hot steaming rice.
Ingredients:
• 1 cup of cauliflower florets
• 1 cup of snow peas
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup of sliced carrots
• 1 cup wood ear mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup of tofu, diced and fried
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves, ground
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 cup of water
• 1 tbsp chili paste
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp oil
Instructions:
This recipe takes about 20 minutes to make. Serves 3 to 4.
Puree tomatoes in a blender then set aside.
Blanch all the vegetables in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes.
Drain the vegetables and set aside.
Heat oil in a wok over medium heat.
Turn the heat down to low-medium, then sauté onions for 2 minutes.
Add garlic, ground cloves, and chili paste.
Sauté for 1 minute.
Pour in tomato puree and cook for 3 minutes.
Add sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and Shaoxing wine.
Pour in cornstarch slush while stirring and simmer until the sauce thickens.
Add vegetables and tofu, then mix well.
Turn heat off.
Ideas And Tips:
• You can also use other vegetables such as baby corn, chayote, broccoli, long beans, green beans, celery or scallions.
• Aside from wood ear mushrooms, you can use shitake mushrooms, button mushrooms, Portobello mushrooms, straw mushrooms or oyster mushrooms.
images – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CxMngJZzhY