Sweet and sour chicken without soy sauce? It may seem unthinkable, but this version is just as tasty as any takeaway
It's hard to find prepared Chinese sauces that don't contain sesame oil or soy sauce (which usually contains wheat flour), so this is why I thought I'd create a free-from version to suit almost anyone. Although gluten- or alcohol-free soy sauces are available, it is just as simple to forego it altogether – which is especially useful for anyone who can't have soya.
Serves* *4
*1 jar stem ginger in syrup *
*4 garlic cloves*
*1 bunch of spring onions*
*400g chicken breasts*
*150g runner beans*
*1 red pepper*
*100g baby sweetcorn*
*3 tbsp tomato puree*
*2 tbsp cider vinegar*
*1 tsp salt*
*1 x 425g tin pineapple chunks in juice*
*2 tsp cornflour*
*350g white rice*
*900ml boiling water*
*3 tbsp olive oil*
*1 *Cooking this dish is pretty speedy, so it pays to have everything ready before you begin. Take three balls of ginger from the syrup and either grate or dice very finely. Next dice the garlic and slice the spring onions. Cut the chicken into thin strips.
*2 *Wash, top and tail the runner beans, then slice into 2cm-long pieces. Chop up the red pepper and the baby sweetcorn into similar-sized pieces.
*3* In a cup, mix together the tomato puree, cider vinegar, salt and pineapple juice. Add 3 tbsp syrup from the ginger. Add the cornflour then stir until you have a lump‑free mixture.
*4* Put the rice in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Put the lid on and turn the heat to high. Once the rice has started to bubble, turn the heat down to very low and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes.
*5 *Put the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Add the garlic, ginger, spring onions and chicken strips. Stir regularly. After about 5 minutes, stir in the tomato/cornflour mixture.
*6 *Add the chopped beans, sweetcorn, peppers and pineapple. Stir, then cook in the sauce for about five minutes. You want the vegetables cooked, but not too soft. Your rice should also now be ready and all the liquid should have disappeared. Fluff up with a fork, then serve topped with the chicken.
*What to watch out for*
Vinegars are produced by the oxidation of alcohol and a trace of alcohol may remain. If you are cooking for someone who can't have alcohol, substitute the cider vinegar for the same volume of lime juice. Reported by guardian.co.uk 2 days ago.
It's hard to find prepared Chinese sauces that don't contain sesame oil or soy sauce (which usually contains wheat flour), so this is why I thought I'd create a free-from version to suit almost anyone. Although gluten- or alcohol-free soy sauces are available, it is just as simple to forego it altogether – which is especially useful for anyone who can't have soya.
Serves* *4
*1 jar stem ginger in syrup *
*4 garlic cloves*
*1 bunch of spring onions*
*400g chicken breasts*
*150g runner beans*
*1 red pepper*
*100g baby sweetcorn*
*3 tbsp tomato puree*
*2 tbsp cider vinegar*
*1 tsp salt*
*1 x 425g tin pineapple chunks in juice*
*2 tsp cornflour*
*350g white rice*
*900ml boiling water*
*3 tbsp olive oil*
*1 *Cooking this dish is pretty speedy, so it pays to have everything ready before you begin. Take three balls of ginger from the syrup and either grate or dice very finely. Next dice the garlic and slice the spring onions. Cut the chicken into thin strips.
*2 *Wash, top and tail the runner beans, then slice into 2cm-long pieces. Chop up the red pepper and the baby sweetcorn into similar-sized pieces.
*3* In a cup, mix together the tomato puree, cider vinegar, salt and pineapple juice. Add 3 tbsp syrup from the ginger. Add the cornflour then stir until you have a lump‑free mixture.
*4* Put the rice in a saucepan and cover with boiling water. Put the lid on and turn the heat to high. Once the rice has started to bubble, turn the heat down to very low and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes.
*5 *Put the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Add the garlic, ginger, spring onions and chicken strips. Stir regularly. After about 5 minutes, stir in the tomato/cornflour mixture.
*6 *Add the chopped beans, sweetcorn, peppers and pineapple. Stir, then cook in the sauce for about five minutes. You want the vegetables cooked, but not too soft. Your rice should also now be ready and all the liquid should have disappeared. Fluff up with a fork, then serve topped with the chicken.
*What to watch out for*
Vinegars are produced by the oxidation of alcohol and a trace of alcohol may remain. If you are cooking for someone who can't have alcohol, substitute the cider vinegar for the same volume of lime juice. Reported by guardian.co.uk 2 days ago.