Sweet and Sour Sauce

Name: Sweet and Sour Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: Serves makes about 1½pt -900ml
Ingredients: 4 tablespoons sunflower oil; 2 cloves garlic; 2 onions; 2 green bell peppers; 4 carrots; 1 piece about 1 inch root ginger; 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar; ½ pint water; 2 oz Demerara (turbinado) sugar; 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch or wheat starch); salt and pepper

Ready in 35 mins

Recipe by Graham

Sweet and Sour Sauce is a useful commodity to have handy in the fridge for barbeques and other cooked meats. Use this recipe to make a jar full and keep it handy. A rich honey color, this tart-sweet-savory sauce does not resemble the cloying, sticky, bright red sauce that’s often served at Chinese restaurants. This one is great served with meatballs, with tempura, or even over rice!

Preparation Time

10 Minutes

Cooking Time

25 Minutes

Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Sauce

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

Makes about 1½pt -900ml:

4 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 cloves garlic
2 onions
2 green bell peppers
4 carrots
1 piece about 1 inch root ginger
6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ pint water
2 oz Demerara (turbinado) sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch or wheat starch)
salt and pepper

How to Cook Sweet and Sour Sauce

In preparation, peel and crush (mince) the garlic, peel and finely chop the onions, core, seed and finely slice the green peppers, peel and thinly slice the carrots, peel and chop the ginger.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the garlic, onions, green peppers, carrots and ginger and fry gently for about 5 minutes until they are softened slightly. Meanwhile, place the remaining ingredients in a bowl with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly until smooth then add to the pan. Bring to the boil, stirring all the time, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thickened.
Serve warm or cold with barbequed meats or many Chinese recipes.

GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
Before crushing the garlic, cut the cloves down the middle long-ways and remove the central 'germ' (the thin stem that looks like a pale green or translucent vein). You will still be able to enjoy the flavour without everybody referring to you as "The Garlic Dragon" afterwards.