Sweet and Sour Sauce

Rinshinomori's Note:

This is not your typical gloppy sweet and artificially dyed sweet and sour sauce you normally find in lots of Chinese restaurants in the U.S. It's not red but the taste of this dipping sauce is much more complex and just plain tastier. I hope you like it with your spring rolls or egg rolls. Even fried wontons. This recipe comes from A. Nguyen's book. For variation, use pineapple juice in place of 1/2 C water for tropical flavor.

• Total Time: 2 mins
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 2 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 cup

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar (lightly packed)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar (unsweetened) or 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water or 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Directions:

1. Combine 2 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 T water in a small cup.
2. Combine sugar, salt, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, and 1/2 C water or pineapple juice in a small saucepan and bring to a near boil over medium heat.
3. Stir to dissolve the sugar and pour in cornstarch/water mixture. Stir for about 15-20 seconds or until the sauce comes to full boil and thickens a bit.
4. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl for at least 10-15 minutes to cool and concentrate the the taste.