Delicious Red Chinese Cherry Sweet & Sour Sauce that is served over Deep Fried Chicken/Pork Balls and other foods or for Dipping. This one, cleverly, uses Orange & Cherry Kool-Aid to derive the Color and Flavor. Best of all, this is a powdered version of a Delicious Cherry S&S Sauce. Just combine the Dry ingredients and add to Water and a bit of Oil for sheen and make Instant Sweet & Sour Sauce.

Cherry Sweet & Sour Sauce

This is a Powdered Instant version that can be used in the same place that Chinese Red Sweet & Sour Sauce is used, or as a Dip.

Thickeners

Potato Starch works much better for viscosity than Cornstarch. Arrowroot will give a glue syrup-like texture.

If the Sauce is heated too much or reheated multiple times, it may break. If you do break the sauce. Just add more Thickener with water. Heat the sauce over medium-high heat until simmering and add the Slurry, mix well. Continue to cook until thickened again.

Chinese 5 Spice

Chinese 5 Spice with Ginger are added for Flavor.

Kool-Aid Sweet & Sour Sauce

The Orange Kool-Aid replaces the Orange Flavoring as well as creating a base for color. The Cherry Kool-Aid is used for flavor and color, so we get that Vibrant Red Color.

The kind I use is pictured below. I can’t seem to find these anywhere else besides Canada Wholesale.

I know these are hard to find. Visit your local Cash & Carry and they may have the Kool-Aid. If not, then, although not tested, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work is to use small packets of unsweetened Kool-Aid and add Sugar to taste or the Canisters of Kool-Aid with added Sugar.

I do know that the Liquid Kool-Aid doesn’t work as well. I first started experimenting with the liquid version, and it never quite tasted right as well as the color. The Powdered Kool-Aid works like a charm.

Sweetness

The added Kool-Aid also contains Sugar. So none is added to the recipe.

Sourness

The Sour comes from Citric Acid – some from the Kool-Aid and Cream of Tartar. I didn’t want a one-dimensional Sour. But instead a nice blend of sour. I also chose this for ease of use. Everything is in powdered form so all that is needed is to add water, oil, and mix. Bring to boil until thickened. Simple.

Sweet & Sour Chicken Balls

Serve this sauce over deep-fried chicken/pork balls and alongside some proper Fried Rice, and you’re good to go with a dish that will rival any Chinese Takeout.

For the Chicken Balls, use JAH Deep Fry Batter for the coating. This is going to give you the best batter with a major crunch on the Chicken Balls.

Instant Cherry Sweet & Sour Sauce

The really cool thing about this recipe is that you can mix all the dry ingredients together and store them away. When you need Cherry S&S Sauce. Add a packet to cold water and oil. Mix, and bring to a boil to thicken. On the Spot, instant Cherry Sweet & Sour Sauce. Now how cool is that!