A must in the vegetable kitchen, Seitan is now easily available on the market. Used in dishes in sauce, baked or roasted, it is a wonderful replacement for meat in many recipes. But did you know that it is also easy to prepare yourself? So, shall we make our hands dirty?
What is Seitan?
In Asia, seitan is also called “Buddha’s food” because its invention is attributed to Zen Buddhist monks over a thousand years ago. Made from wheat or spelled gluten, this age-old dish is a great source of plant-based protein. Yes, it’s not just meat, eggs or dairy that contain these valuable macronutrients! It is also one of the plant foods richest in plant proteins (between 25 and 30 g for a 100 g serving). It also has the advantage of being low in cholesterol and very low in lipids.
That is why we often find Seitan in vegetarian or vegan recipes. With its appearance and compact consistency, it serves as a meat substitute in many dishes, Chili sin Carne, vegetable sausage, burger, lasagna, etc.
How do you make your seitan?
Ingredients:
- 150 grams wheat gluten
- 2 vegetable stock cubes or 3 tbsp stock powder
- 1 tablespoon of malout yeast
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato concentrate
- 2 bay leaves or a few sprigs of thyme
- spices of your choice (turmeric, 4 spices, ras el-hanout, etc.)
Steps:
- Mix 1 tablespoon of broth in 250 ml of water or crumble a block. Add salt and pepper.
- Place the gluten flour and malt yeast in a large bowl. Add the stock little by little, mix and knead. The dough should be compact enough to form a ball. If not, add gluten flour to correct this.
- Make the cooking stock in a pan by mixing the water, the stock cube, the chopped onion, the garlic, the tomato puree, the bouquet garni and the chosen herbs.
- Cut the dough into 1 cm thick slices and place them in the broth for 45 minutes. Cover the pan partially and make sure that the water does not boil.
- Once cooked, the seitan is puffed up and ready to cook. It can be finely chopped for a Bolognese, cut into small pieces and baked with soy sauce or roasted to make delicious veggie burgers. You choose !
Did you like this article? Also discover Tempeh, this vegetable alternative to fish meat.