Broccolini in Sweet and Sour Sauce

While its name suggests that it’s a diminutive form of a common vegetable, broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and the Chinese vegetable gai lan. With longer stalks and smaller florets, broccolini takes a more delicate shape on the dinner plate than broccoli, yet has a robust flavor that stands up well to a sweet and sour sauce with a bit of spiciness.

On its own, this recipe makes a hearty vegetarian dish, and when served as a side, it never seems like an afterthought. In place of the refined sugar and ketchup that often make their way into sweet and sour sauce, I rely on honey, tamarind, tomato paste, and a few other tasty ingredients. And if you’re not a fan of broccolini, try it with green beans.

Ingredients

1 bunch broccolini
Olive oil
½ cup water
1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red chile flakes (½ teaspoon for a spicier sauce)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash and trim the broccolini by removing the bottom third of the stems. Cut larger stems vertically to divide the broccolini into pieces of about the same size. Drizzle some olive oil on a baking sheet, add the broccolini stems, drizzle the stems with more olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle lightly with salt.

Roast the broccolini for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn once during roasting. Remove from the oven when the stems are tender and the florets are crispy and almost burnt in spots.

In the meantime prepare the sweet and sour sauce. In a small bowl combine the water, tamarind concentrate, honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Set aside.

Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of a small saucepan and swirl to coat the bottom. Over medium heat cook the garlic and chile flakes just until they become fragrant but not browned. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring frequently so that the garlic doesn’t burn. The mixture should become highly fragrant.

Stir in the tamarind mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Dissolve the cornstarch in a teaspoon or two of water to make a slurry. Add to the simmering sauce while stirring constantly until it is blended and begins to thicken. Cook for about two minutes longer – more if you want an even thicker sauce. Keep in mind the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

When the broccolini stems are done, transfer them to a bowl, add sauce, and toss to coat.