One of my late mom’s favorite dishes to prepare was Sweet and Sour Fish, and it has been my favorite ever since. This is probably why I love sweet and sour dishes.
I can still imagine her frying the fish while asking me to slice the veggies. I can still hear her voice telling me that I cut the veggies wrong—that the sizes should be even or that the onions should be cut into wedges rather than thinly sliced.
The only thing I cannot remember is how she made the sweet and sour sauce. It must have been a mixture of sugar, vinegar, maybe ketchup, or soy sauce. No matter how much I try to recall, I just can’t remember.
When I moved to the UAE for work and missed her sweet and sour fish, the first thing I did was use a sweet and sour powder mix, and it’s been like that ever since. Although I have a recipe for Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet, I still use the sweet and sour powder mix because it’s more convenient. I just add some veggies and adjust it according to my liking.
So, here’s my Easy Sweet and Sour Fish 🍽️.
Easy Sweet and Sour Fish
This easy and convenient recipe features crispy fried fish topped with a delicious sweet and sour sauce. Perfect for a weeknight dinner when you want something tasty without all the hassle!
Ingredients
- Cooking oil for frying
- Fish to fry (scaled & cleaned)
- 1 packet of Mama Sita’s Sweet and Sour Mix
- ¾ cup 180 ml water
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion sliced into wedges
- 1 small carrot sliced
- 1 small red bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
- Vinegar to taste
- Soy sauce to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
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Add fish to a pan with very hot oil.
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Fry until the fish is golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside to drain excess oil.
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In a pan over medium-high heat, sauté garlic until fragrant.
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Add onion and cook until soft.
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Add the carrot with a little water, and cook until the carrot is tender.
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Add the bell pepper and cook until soft.
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Dissolve 1 packet of Mama Sita’s Sweet and Sour Mix in 180 ml of water, and add it to the pan.
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Add vinegar and soy sauce at this point, if using.
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Add the pineapple chunks.
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Season with salt and pepper.
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Taste and adjust seasoning according to your preference.
