Sweet & Sour Crispy Tofu With Rice

Drain your tofu and pat it dry with kitchen paper

Cut the tofu into small bite-sized cubes and add them to a bowl with a little soy sauce (save the rest for later!)

Drain your pineapple and pour in the pineapple juice

Give everything a good mix up and set aside to marinate

Add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving

Drain the marinated tofu

Add most of your cornflour (save 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] for later) to the marinated tofu and give everything a good mix up until the tofu is coated

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the coated tofu and cook for 5-6 min or until golden and crispy all over, then transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and reserve the pan – this is your crispy tofu

While the tofu is cooking, deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and cut into bite-sized pieces

Trim, then slice your spring onion[s] into batons

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) your ginger

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Return the reserved pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil

Once hot, add the chopped pepper and cook for 3-4 min or until starting to soften

Once the pepper has started to soften, add the spring onion batons, chopped ginger and chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 min further or until fragrant

Meanwhile, combine the reserved cornflour with 100ml [130ml] [150ml] cold water in a small bowl

Add the remaining soy sauce sachet[s], tomato ketchup, red chilli relish, rice vinegar and 1/2 tsp [3/4 tsp] [1 tsp] sugar to the bowl and stir it all together – this is your sweet & sour sauce

Chop the drained pineapple into rough, bite-sized pieces

Add the chopped pineapple and sweet & sour sauce to the pan and cook for 1 min further or until thickened slightly

Once thickened, add the crispy tofu to the pan – this is your sweet & sour crispy tofu