I love the strong flavours in Chinese food, this colourful dish recreates them without all the extra sugar and salt

Ingredients serves 4

half a medium pineapple

350g (12 ounces) of firm tofu

900g (2lbs) of potatoes

a green pepper (bell pepper, capsicum)

a 400g (14 ounce) tin of chopped tomatoes

400g (14 ounces) of broccoli

parsley to garnish (optional)

5 spring onions

2 teapsoons of finely chopped ginger

3 gloves of garlic

2 birdseye chillies (this is hot, for a milder dish use a half to one chilli with the seeds removed)

2 teaspoons of agave nectar (or honey)

2 teaspoons of cornflour

1 tablespoon of rice vinegar

2 tablespoons of dark soy salt

salt and pepper

vegetable oil (with a high burning point such as rice bran or groundnut)

400ml (14 fluid ounces) of brown basmati mixed with a little red rice (or just brown basmati)

 

Crisp green salad leaves and more finely sliced spring onions to serve

 

Method

Rinse the rice and place in a small lidded saucepan with twice the amount of water

Add a little salt

Scrub and cube the potatoes ( one inch, 2 and 1/2 cm) and put these on top of the rice

Bring to the boil on full heat with the lid off and then reduce to the lowest heat and put the lid on

Cook for 20 minutes

In the meantime:-

Finely chop together the ginger, garlic and chillies.  Put in a wok with about two tablespoons of oil and gently heat

Dice the pepper into one inch (2 and a 1/2 cm) pieces and add these

Stir to coat in oil, cook gently for a couple of minutes

Chop the brocolli into small florets and add

Add 100ml (3 and a 1/2 fluid ounces) of water and put the lid on and steam

When the all the vegetables have been steaming for about ten minutes add the tin of tomatoes, dice the pineapple into one inch (2 and a 1/2cm) chunks and add these

Bring to the boil

Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar and agave nectar (or honey) and season with salt and pepper.  Stir, lower the heat and simmer

Heat some more oil in a frying pan, dice the tofu (one inch 2 and a 1/2 cm) pat dry and fry for three minutes or so on each side until golden brown

Just before the tofu is ready stir two teaspoons of cornflour into 100ml (3 and 1/2 fluid ounces) of water and add this to the vegetables

Chop the spring onions and add these

Drain the tofu on kitchen paper and mix into the vegetables

Serve over the rice and potatoes with a handful of crisp undressed green leaves and finely sliced spring onions and more soy sauce if required