The sauce:
1.5 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup vegetable stock
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons Chinese thin soy sauce
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 clove garlic peeled
1/4 inch slice of fresh ginger
1 carrot
1/2 small fresh sweet red pepper
1/2 medium sized green bell pepper
2 scallions
3/4 pound firm tofu cut into 1 inch cubes and fried in oil until lightly browned
2.5 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of the stock in a small cup. Combine the 3/4 cup stock, vinegar, sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoons salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper in a bowl. Heat 1 tablespoons oil in a small pot over a medium flame. When hot, put in the garlic and ginger. Stir. As soon as the garlic browns, take the pot off the flame and pour the vinegar mixture from the bowl into it. Put the pot back on the fire and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer very gently for 4 minutes. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir and add that to the pot. Remove the garlic and ginger. Peel the carrot and cut into 1/16 inch thick diagonal slices. Cut a few slices at a time into very thin strips. Cut the red and green peppers into very thin strips. Cut the scallions into 1.5 inch lengths. Cut each section lengthwise into very thin strips. Put the cubes of fried bean curd in a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons salt to 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Pour boiling water over the bean curd, dunk the bean curd cubes a few times and then leave them in the water. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over a medium high flame. Put in 1/2 teaspoons salt and the carrot, red and green pepper and scallions. Stir fry for 30 seconds, turn off heat. Heat the prepared sauce over a low flame. Take the bean curd out of the water. Squeeze gently to get rid of extra moisture and put cubes on a serving platter. Spread the vegetables over the bean curd. Pour the sauce over the vegetables. Serve with rice.
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