Sweet and Sour Chicken
When I was a child I used to hate sweet and sour sauces with a passion, I never even told my parents (I am not sure why – if I had I’m sure they wouldn’t have made me eat it!) I don’t even really remember what it was, but I think it was the taste of pineapple.
However those days must be long behind me, as this sweet and sour recipe is made almost solely from pineapple!
This recipe comes from Chinese Food Made Easy, which I bought after the tv show. Strange thing is I thought I only bought it last year but amazon reliably informs me it was 2008! I have made a couple of recipes from this book – but so far this is the only one I have made multiple times. Take from that what you will 
But I do love the idea of the book, showing a healthier way to get the Chinese Takeaway recipe favourites, and this healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken really does taste fantastic.
Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken
~ serves 2.
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons of dry-roasted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon of dry crushed chillies
- 125g of tinned pineapple in natural juice
- 125ml of pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoons of lime juice
- light soy sauce
- rice wine vinegar
First for the chicken you need to make your crunchy coating. Add the peanuts and chilli flakes into a blend till it’s mostly ground (a few larger chunks aren’t bad).
Coat your chicken with the ground peanut mixture, ensure it’s well covered.
Heat a wok or frying pan over a high heat with a little oil (I use rapeseed/canola oil). Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes each side, turning the heat down if the coating starts to burn.
In a blender blend the majority of your pineapple chunks with the juice (you may want to leave some chunks in). Add to a pan and heat under a medium heat, then add the lime juice. You can also add soy sauce and rice wine vinegar to taste at this point. (I add around one tablespoon of each, but you can add less or more if you wish).
Leave for the sauce to reduce.
Once the chicken is ready, serve immediately along side rice or salad leaves. I also usually do some basic stirfry vegetables, like broccoli.
I have also made this dish with pork (as it is in the book) rather than chicken, which is similarly tasty (and healthy).
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August 18th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
This looks sooooo good!!
August 18th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
I’m afraid I’m a sweet and sour hater too, though it’s one of my boyfriend’s favourites…Maybe I ought to try it again, yours does look good.
Sasa … Hot Days and Japanese Cucumber Salad
August 18th, 2010 at 10:03 pm
I bought that book too, but I don’t think I’ve actually cooked anything from it yet. It feels a bit…lightweight. My favourite Chinese cookery book is the very unpromising looking Chinese Cookery Secrets http://amzn.to/deDaq2
For the record, I’m ambivalent towards sweet and sour…when it’s good, it’s magnificent, but too often it’s utterly dire and I tend to steer clear for that reason.
That coating of peanuts and chilli is probably worth another go, though…
rich – them apples … Tod man mu- or spicy Thai pork meatballs
August 20th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Looks delicious. Sweet and sour is one of the popular Chinese dishes. I cook it very often. My family and friends all like sweet and sour. I’m glad that you have come to like it now. I’m sure yours tastes way better than those from takeaways
MaryMoh … How To Make Egg Noodles At Home