Mifu Sweet & Sour

January is almost gone about which I'm super happy, as the days are getting longer and even though there will be no signs of spring until loooong. So yay for the light! I'm also super happy about the upcoming trip to Japan. I haven't had a proper holiday since 2015, so I'm eagerly looking forward to those weeks in Japan. We are leaving there at the end of March, so I'm having my hopes up to seeing the full bloom of cherries, either in Kyoto or Tokyo (or even both?).

The recipe I'm sharing today isn't from Japan, but anyway Asian style. I've done this food countless times with chicken. This time I wanted to try how it would go with Mifu, which is a milk protein product made by Valio. I like its chicken/paneer consistency: it's like squeaky cheese. Once you bite it, it squeaks. If you can't find Mifu, I suggest trying either seitan, quorn or tofu. (Scroll down for the recipe in English and Finnish).

Happy cooking!

Mifu Sweet&Sour

serves 2-3

250 g Mifu Original (or seitan or quorn or tofu)
2 onions, cut to wedges
(1 big red bell pepper, cut to big pieces)

Marinade:
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp blackpepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce1 Tbsp brown sugar 

Sweet&Sour Sauce:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, grated
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp (white wine) vinegar
2 tsp rice vinegar
3 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp water (or fruit juice)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey (or light syrup)
chili sauce according to taste ( I've used sriracha or gochuchang about 1/2-1 tsp)

Mix all ingredients of the marinade in a bowl and add Mifu or your other protein of choice. Leave to marinate for 2 hours minimum, preferably over night.

Meanwhile you can prepare the sauce: heat the vegetable oil in a (small) pan, add garlic and ginger, stir-fry under 1 minute (don't let them burn). Add soy sauce, vinegars, ketchup, water, sugar, honey and chili sauce. Let it boil a bit and then take it off the heat.

Take the chicken pieces out of the marinade and stir-fry for couple minutes. Add the onion and let it cook for a couple minutes. (Add the bell pepper). Add some of the sweet&sour sauce, mix and let the sauce coat all the pieces evenly. When the bell peppers are cooked but still "crunchy" take off the heat and serve with rice. Serve the rest of the sweet&sour sauce separately, so that people can adjust the heat.

Mifu Sweet&Sour

2-3:lle

250 g Mifu Original -suikaleita (tai seitania, quornia tai tofua)
2 sipulia, leikattuna lohkoihin
(1 punainen paprika, leikattuna paloiksi)

Marinadi:
1-2 tl kanelia
1 tl juustokumina
1/2 tl mustapippuria
1 rkl rypsiöljyä
3 rkl soijakastiketta
1 rkl tummaa sokeria

Sweet&Sour -kastike
1 tl rypsiöljyä
1 valkosipulin kynsi, raastettuna
1 rkl raastettua inkivääriä
1 rkl soijakastiketta
1 rkl viinietikkaa
2 tl riisiviinietikkaa
3 rkl ketsuppia
2 rkl vettä (tai hedelmämehua)
1 rkl tummaa sokeria
2 rkl hunajaa (tai vaaleaa siirappia)
chilikastiketta maun mukaan (olen käyttänyt srirachaa tai gochuchangia n. 1/2-1 tl)

Sekoita marinadin ainekset kulhossa ja lisää mifusuikaleet marinoitumaan vähintään 2 tunniksi, mielellään pidemmäksi ajaksi.

Tee kastike: lämmitä öljy pienessä kattilassa ja kuullota valkosipulia ja inkivääriä hetki (älä anna niiden palaa). Lisää soijakastike, viinietikat, ketsuppi, vesi sokeri, hunaja ja chilikastike. Anna kiehahtaa ja ota sitten pois lämmöltä.

Paista sipulilohkoja hetki öljyssä. Ota mifusuikaleet pois marinadista ja paista niitä sipulien kanssa muutama minuutti. (Lisää paprika). Lisää hieman (tai kaikki) sweet&sour-kastikkeesta (maun mukaan) ja sekoita se aineksiin. Kun sipulia (ja paprika) ovat kypsyneet riittävästi, ota pois lämmöltä. Tarjoile riisin ja lopun kastikkeen kanssa.

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