Asian sweet and sour stir-fry

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• sesame oil
• 600 g meat for frying, variety of your choice or 600 g tofu, optional
• 2 large carrots
• 2 large onions
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 zucchini
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 jar bamboo shoot(s)
• 1 can pineapple, in pieces
• 2 tsp sambal oelek
• 1 tsp salt
• 500 ml tomato ketchup, best quality, without sweeteners, flavor enhancers and thickeners
• e.g. rice or Chinese mie noodles

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

quickly prepared, with meat, tofu or just vegetables

Cut the meat into large pieces. Peel the carrots and onions, cut the carrots into finger-thick slices, quarter the onions lengthwise and also cut them into finger-thick slices. Cut the bell peppers into pieces approximately 4 x 4 cm. Halve the zucchini lengthwise and cut into finger-thick half slices. Peel the garlic, pound it flat, and roughly chop it. Prepare the rice or noodles according to the package instructions. In a large pot or wok with a lid, cover the bottom well with oil and heat on high heat. Stir-fry the meat for about 1 minute, then add the carrots and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, and zucchini and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, still on high heat. Add the garlic, let it cook briefly, then add the sprouts without water and the pineapple pieces with their juices. Stir in the sambal, salt, and ketchup. Turn off the heat (or reduce the heat to the lowest setting if using gas), cover, and let it simmer for a few moments. Serve immediately with rice or noodles. Note: When it comes to vegetables, the sky’s the limit; mushrooms are also a good option. The only important thing is the order: first the meat, then the dry ingredients like the carrots, and finally the moister ingredients. To prevent overcooking and to retain their bite, everything should be chopped very coarsely. It can also be prepared without meat or tofu, but you’ll need more vegetables.