As it is a popular condiment in the Philippines and figures heavily in Filipino cooking, I am doing a standalone entry on how to make sweet and sour sauce to refer back to for future recipes. As one of the many influences of Chinese trade, sweet and sour sauce can be tossed with other ingredients during cooking for moisture and flavor or used as dipping sauce for the meal. It is really very easy to make and the perfect sauce is all about finding the right balance between the sweetening agent such as sugar or honey and the acidic liquid such as vinegar or fruit juices. In my version, I like to add minced bell peppers for additional color and texture. Here some wonderful things you can use sweet and sour sauce:
- Sweet and Sour Pork-a sweet, tangy and definitely colorful dish that’s sure to please the whole family
- Lumpiang Shanghai-ramp up the lumpia experience with a sweet and sour dipping sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ small green bell pepper seeded and minced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine pineapple juice, vinegar, ketcup, sugar and salt. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add cornstarch and stir until well dispersed.
- In a sauce pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add bell peppers and cook, stirring regularly until softened. Add liquid mixture and bring to a boil, whisking regularly. Continue to cook, whisking regularly, for about 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce thickens.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
