Chinese Sweet & Sour Tofu Rice Bake

 Sweet & sour tofu rice bake is a one-pot Chinese-style meal cooked in the oven. The tofu, vegetables, rice, and sweet and sour sauce are all cooked together in one dish for a fuss-free family dinner.

CHINESE SWEET & SOUR TOFU RICE BAKE

This is my take on a Chinese Fakeaway.

A fakeaway of a takeaway, but even easier.

Instead of cooking your rice in one pot, your tofu and vegetables in a wok, then adding the sweet and sour sauce, it is all baked in one dish in the oven with no pre-cooking.

You're going to love this!

Oh and you are very welcome!

A MODERN VERSION

This isn't a traditional recipe.

For a start, it should be cooked in a wok (but I like easy) and I added vegetable stock and dried herbs to the rice to add flavour.

If you want a more authentic dish (not cooked in a wok), skip the stock and herbs and just add hot water instead.

I do like to add flavour where I can, but it's up to you.

RICE BAKES

You may have seen or even tried one of my rice bakes already.

I have a mushroom rice bake with gravy and a roast vegetable rice bake.

They are super easy and very popular. 

You just chuck everything in, including the rice and there is no pre-cooking. The oven does all the work.

HOW DOES A RICE BAKE WORK?

The rice sits in the bottom of the ovenproof dish with stock, which adds flavour.

The rice is then completely covered with vegetables.

The vegetables on top roast while the rice underneath steams, so the rice is soft and fluffy and the vegetables have that rich, smoky flavour with lovely charred edges.

For that Chinese takeaway twist, I added pineapple to the rice layer and a layer of sweet & sour sauce.

Just perfect.

WHAT TYPE OF RICE SHOULD I USE?

I use basmati rice for this rice bake.

It's the rice I always have in my store cupboard.

Don't be Andrew (my best buddy)!

He used brown rice when he made my mushroom rice bake and it took a LOT longer. I'm sure I mentioned that in the post, but he obviously decided to ignore my advice.

Using brown rice will take longer which will knock the quantities out.

As it takes longer it will use up the stock, then start to dry out and you don't want that.

WHAT IS BASMATI RICE?

Basmati is an aromatic, long-grained rice, usually used in Indian cooking.

It works well in this dish to produce a soft, fluffy rice.

Chinese restaurants and takeaways usually use jasmine or long grained rice, these would work well too.

Just skip the brown rice, unless you want to experiment with the quantities of liquids.

Try it my way first, then play about with it.

CHINESE STYLE SWEET & SOUR SAUCE

Usually when you make sweet and sour vegetables at home, the sauce is added to the cooked vegetables in the wok to warm it through.

If it's a takeaway you've treated yourself to, the sauce is often served in a separate container, so you can add it yourself.

For this rice bake, I added a layer of sweet and sour sauce over the rice and stock.

There was enough sauce for lots of flavour, but if you like it extra saucy you could add more. 

My husband finds this amount of sauce perfect but I like lots of sauce. 

You'll know what you prefer.

I used a large jar of sweet & sour sauce, but you could make your own. Check out this sweet and sour sauce recipe from Kitchen Sanctuary.

Love this rice dish? Try an easy vegan meatball rice bake for a one-pot dinner.

ROASTED VEGETABLES

While the rice underneath steams, the vegetables roast for the best flavour.

For this traybake I used broccoli, baby corn, red pepper, courgette and red onion.

You could use your favourite veg or just use up what you have in the fridge.

It's a great recipe for using up leftover veg.

You could also use frozen veg or add tinned sweetcorn if it's a family favourite.

I sometimes like to add sweetcorn in a layer between the rice and the veg.

Let's face it, sweetcorn is always popular with children.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE SWEET & SOUR TOFU VEGETABLE RICE BAKE

You don't need any fancy ingredients to make this rice bake or any special equipment.

EQUIPMENT YOU NEED

• OVEN - pre-heated
• OVENPROOF DISH  - or roasting tin
• JUG & SPOON - to make up the stock
• SIEVE - a fine sieve to rinse the rice
• CHOPPING BOARD & KNIFE - to chop the vegetables

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED

Marinade

• VEGETABLE OIL 
• SOY SAUCE
• VINEGAR
• MAPLE SYRUP
• SALT & PEPPER

Rice

• BASMATI RICE
• VEGETABLE STOCK  - you may just add hot water
• DRIED BASIL - optional
• DRIED OREGANO - optional
• PINEAPPLE -  fresh or tinned

Vegetables

• RED PEPPER
• COURGETTE
• RED ONION
• BABYCORN
• TENDERSTEM BROCCOLI

Use your favourite vegetables.

WHAT TYPE OF TOFU DO I NEED?

You need firm or extra firm tofu for this rice bake. 

Tofu is often called bean curd in Chinese restaurants and takeaways.

Don't be fooled and pick up firm silken tofu as it's completely different.

• FIRM TOFU - is perfect for this dish. It will need to be pressed to remove liquid.
• EXTRA FIRM TOFU - is a good option too, it doesn't even need to be pressed
• X SILKEN TOFU - is not right for this dish, the creamy nature of this tofu makes if good for desserts and creamy sauces

Love tofu? Try these easy Gochujang Shredded Tofu Wraps next.

HOW DO YOU PRESS TOFU?

You can use a tofu press or a homemade press to press tofu.

Pressing tofu removes excess liquid.       

If you don't have a press, just wrap the tofu in kitchen paper, then a clean tea towel.  Top it with either cook books or a frying pan topped with a couple of tins (beans, tomatoes or soup work well).

Leave it for 20-30 minutes, then you can unwrap it, chop in and pop it in some marinade.

MORE TOFU RECIPES TO TRY

Here are a few more tofu recipes to try:

1. Baked Harissa Popcorn Tofu
2. Chip Shop Battered Tofu
3. Chipotle Waffle Tofu
4. Grilled Tandoori Tofu Skewers
5. Spiced Tofu Fingers

    Next, check out Easy Vegan Rice Recipes for Lunch or Dinner.

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HOW TO MAKE SWEET & SOUR TOFU RICE BAKE

Scroll down for step-by-step photos followed by a full printable recipe. If you don't have a printer, hit print then save as a PDF. 

STEP 1

1. Preheat the oven and press your tofu (if you are using extra firm it won't need pressed).
2. While the tofu is pressing, make up your marinade (full recipe below).
3. Cube the tofu and leave it to soak in the marinade.

STEP 2

1. Make up the stock if you are using it (you can just use boiling water) with the dried herbs. It does add a great flavour.
2. Rinse the rice and place in your ovenproof dish or roasting tin.
3. Add the stock and pineapple and smooth into an even layer.
4. Pour over the sweet & sour sauce. I used one large jar, but you can use more if you want it saucy.

STEP 3

1. Add your layer of vegetables on top of the rice and sauce in an even layer, covering all the rice and sauce.
2. Scatter on the tofu.
3. Bake until the vegetables and tofu are charred at the edges.
4. Serve & enjoy.

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dinner

Chinese, vegan

Yield: 3 - 4

Author: Jacqueline Meldrum

Chinese Sweet & Sour Tofu Rice Bake

Sweet & sour tofu rice bake is a one-pot Chinese-style meal cooked in the oven. The tofu, vegetables, rice, and sweet and sour sauce are all cooked together in one dish for a fuss-free family dinner.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

Tofu

• 200g (½ lb) firm tofu pressed and cubed (if you use extra firm it won't need pressed)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp vinegar (I used white vine vinegar)
• 1 tsp maple syrup (you could use sugar instead)
• salt & pepper

Rice

• 225g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) basmati or other long grained rice (not brown rice)
• 300 ml (1  1/4 cups) vegetable stock (1 stock cube)
• 1 tsp dried basil (optional)
• 1 tsp dried parsley (optional)
• salt & pepper
• 1 slice pineapple, chopped (fresh or tinned)
• 675g (1.5 lb or 2  3/4 cups) sweet & sour sauce 

Vegetables

• 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
• 1 courgette, sliced
• 1 red onion cut into wedges
• 10 - 12 baby corn
• 8 - 10 tenderstem broccoli (or broccoli florets)
• spray of oil
• salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/350f/gas mark 4.
2. Press the tofu (you won't need to if you use extra firm tofu like I did) and cube
3. Make up the marinade in a bowl and toss the tofu in it and set aside.
4. Rinse the rice and spread out in a large ovenproof dish (my dish is 31 cm x 23 cm (12 inch x 9 inch) and 6 ½ cm (2 ½ inch) deep.). 
5. Make up the stock with the dried herbs, pour over the rice and season with salt and pepper.
6. Add the chopped pineapple and spread into an even layer.
7. Pour the sweet & sour sauce in a fairly even layer over the rice.
8. Top with the vegetables and tofu, also in an even layer, completely covering the rice and sauce. Spray a little oil and season with salt and pepper.
9. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes until the veg and tofu are charred at the edges and the rice is soft and fluffy.
10. Enjoy!

Notes:

You may use whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. A layer of sweetcorn over the rice layer is good and mushrooms and aubergine work well in the vegetable layer too.

If you like lots of sauce with your rice and veg, you can add more sauce than I did.

Don't use brown rice as it takes longer, will need more stock and will then overcook the veg.

I used half a pack or extra firm tofu, so I didn't need to press it. 

Don't worry if your dish is a bit smaller or bigger, just make sure the rice & sauce is covered with vegetables, so it steams under the veg.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

652.49

Fat (grams)

15.02

Sat. Fat (grams)

2.30

Carbs (grams)

155.47

Fiber (grams)

9.16

Net carbs

146.31

Sugar (grams)

57.27

Protein (grams)

18.67

Sodium (milligrams)

2151.93

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

Created using The Recipes Generator