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Okara Pork Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Today I have another great okara recipe for those who make their own soy milk at home, okara pork meatballs with sweet and sour sauce. Okara is the soy bean pulp leftover from making soy milk. Though very high in nutrients, okara is sadly considered a waste. And that is just too sad, isn’t it? So, let’s not throw away those soy bean pulp the next time you make some soy milk.
To prepare the meatball mixture, mix together okara, ground pork, scallion, corn starch, and egg. Then season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sake, and ground pepper. Since the water content of each okara batch will be slightly different, add only as much corn starch as needed to easily shape the meatballs. I use about 2 tablespoon of mixture per meatball, and I also dust each meatball with some corn starch.
To cook the meatballs, you can choose to either pan fry or deep fry. I choose the panfrying option since it means I end up using only one frying pan for both cooking the meatballs and the sauce to make my life easier.
Finally, it is time to prepare the sauce. In the same frying pan, add some oil and fry garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add chicken stock, tomato ketchup, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the sauce boils. Give it a quick test to see if you need to add salt, then thicken the sauce with corn starch slurry. Once the sauce is thick, return the meatballs into the pan to coat with sauce. I like to serve the meatballs immediately with some toasted scallions and nanami togarashi (or toasted sesame seeds).
Okara Pork Meatballs with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Ingredients
- Okara pork meatballs
- 300 gram okara (soy bean pulp)
- 300 gram ground pork
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2-4 tablespoon corn starch (depends on the water content of your okara)
- Sweet and sour sauce
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup tomato ketchup
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- corn starch slurry (1 tablespoon corn starch + 2 tablespoon water)
- Garnish
- chopped scallions
- nanami togarashi (or toasted sesame seeds)
Instructions
- Okara pork meatballs
- Mix together all meatballs ingredients. Since the water content of each batch of okara is different, add only as much corn starch as needed until you can easily shape the meatballs.
- Shape each meatball with about 2 tablespoon of mixture, and dust each with corn starch.
- Heat 4 tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. Cook meatballs until golden brown and set aside.
- Sweet and sour sauce
- In the same frying pan, add about 2 tablespoon of oil, and sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant.
- Add chicken stock, tomato ketchup, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and sesame oil. Once the sauce boils, give the sauce a taste test and add salt if needed.
- Pour the corn starch slurry into the sauce and stir until the sauce is thick, about 2 minutes.
- Return the cooked meatballs to the pan to coat with sauce.
- Turn off the heat. Serve the meatballs immediately with some chopped scallions and nanami togarashi (or toasted sesame seeds).
Comments
Hi Anita, This dish looks delicious. If I don't have the soy bean pulp, will firm tofu that is drained and mashed be a good substitute?
Yes, drained mashed firm tofu should be a perfect substitute :)
Hi Anita, you just reminded me I have some okara left in the refrigerator, going to use them to make meatballs for tonight's dinner! Thanks for the inspiration!
You are welcome Jasline. Hopefully the dinner will be awesome :)
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