Sweet and Sour Fish and Vegetable Stir-fry is a quick and easy dish. The star of today’s dish is the sweet and sour sauce, and my sauce contains far less ingredients than most of the sweet and sour recipes you’ll find on the internet. Watch the video.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- 300g swordfish fillet or cutlet (note 1)
- 80g carrot
- 80g capsicum
- 80g onion
- 50g pearl oyster mushrooms (note 2)
- 2½ tbsp oil (separated)
- 1 tbsp corn flour/cornstarch
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3⅓ tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp corn flour/cornstarch diluted in 1 tbsp water
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Cut swordfish into a large bite-size pieces.
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Cut carrot randomly using the rangiri method into bite-size pieces. Blanch them for a few minutes until they are almost cooked through, then drain.
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Cut the capsicum vertically into about 3cm wide strips, then cut each strip diagonally into bite-size pieces.
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Halve the onion vertically if it is a whole onion, then halve horizontally. Cut each quarter vertically into 2.5cm wide pieces.
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Trim off the base of the mushroom cluster, leaving the cluster still intact. Separate the cluster into small bunches of a few stems. (note 2)
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Put all the Sweet and Sour ingredients, excluding corn flour/cornstarch diluted in water, in a jar or a bowl. Mix well until lump free.
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Put the fish pieces and corn flour/cornstarch (not the one diluted in water) in a bowl and dust the swordfish pieces thoroughly (note 3).
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Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a deep-frying pan over medium heat.
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Place the swordfish pieces in the pan and cook for about 1.5-2 minutes until the surface is slightly browned. Turn them over and cook further 1.5-2 minutes until they are almost cooked through (note 4).
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Rotate the fish pieces to quickly cook the sides of each piece where possible. This will make sure that the corn flour/cornstarch on the side of the fish pieces is cooked.
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Transfer the fish to a plate.
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Wipe the frying pan with kitchen paper and add the remaining oil to the pan. Heat over medium high heat.
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Put all the vegetables in the pan and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until the surface of the vegetable pieces start browning.
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Add the swordfish pieces to the pan and gently mix.
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Pour the Sweet and Sour Sauce into the pan, gently stir for about 20 seconds.
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Pour the corn flour/cornstarch with water to the pan, drawing a ring to spread it evenly. Quickly, but gently, mix it into the sauce. When the sauce is thickened and there is no white patch of corn flour/cornstarch (note 5), remove the pan from the heat.
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Serve immediately.
1. My swordfish was about 2cm thick.
You don’t have to use swordfish. A white flesh fillet with a firm texture is best suited for today’s dish. It is good to have a fish fillet with a sufficient thickness such as cod, flathead, or large snapper.
2. Most sweet and sour dishes use shiitake mushrooms, and you can of course use them as a substitute. I had so many pearl oyster mushrooms in the fridge at the time, so I used them.
If you are using shiitake mushrooms, halve or quarter vertically depending on the size of your mushrooms.
3. Alternatively, put them in a plastic bag and shake the bag to coat the fish pieces with corn flour/cornstarch.
4. Press the centre of the fish piece to see if the flesh is firm. If soft, the inside is still not cooked.
5. It will take only about 10-15 seconds. When corn flour/cornstarch is cooked, it becomes transparent.
6. You can keep Sweet and Sour Fish and Vegetable Stir-fry in the fridge for a couple of days, and the flavour does not deteriorate. The only downside is that the capsicum pieces discolour and it becomes moss green colour.
7. Nutrition per serving.
serving: 405g calories: 573kcal fat: 28g (36%) saturated fat: 3.7g (19%) trans fat: 0.2g polyunsaturated fat: 5g monounsaturated fat: 17g cholesterol: 99mg (33%) sodium: 1269mg (55%) carbohydrates: 47g (17%) dietary fibre: 3.7g (13%) sugar: 32g protein: 34g vitamin D: 21mcg (105%) calcium: 49mg (4%) iron: 2.1mg (12%) potassium: 1220mg (26%)