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Basic Home-Made Seitan

This recipe produces a seitan that is succulent and versatile. It can be eaten as it is, or pan-fried in a little olive oil to enhance the flavour. For doner kebabs, I like to fry strips of seitan with 1 tsp each of smoked paprika and ground cumin. I sprinkle a little spice at a time – stir frying as I do so – to ensure the strips are evenly coated.
Hands-on Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Servings 700 g / 25 oz (approx)

Ingredients
  

Seitan Dough

    Dry Ingredients

    • 270 g / 2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
    • 22 g / 6 TBSP nutritional yeast flakes
    • 2 tsp onion powder
    • 2 tsp garlic powder or fine garlic granules
    • 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder

    Wet Ingredients

    • 160 ml / ⅔ cup water
    • 4 TBSP soy sauce
    • 4 TBSP fresh lemon juice
    • 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

    Broth

    • 1.9 litres / 8 cups water
    • 4 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
    • 2 TBSP soy sauce

    Instructions
     

    • Fill a large saucepan or stockpot with the broth ingredients, cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer.
    • Place the dry seitan ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir through to combine.
    • Add the wet ingredients to a jug and whisk with a fork to combine. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and stir with a spoon until the mixture starts to come together. Use your hands to knead the mixture into a dough ball. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Knead each piece for 3 minutes, then shape into a rectangle. Repeat with the second piece of dough.
    • Carefully lower the seitan into the broth. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes. Make sure that the water stays at a very gentle simmer. You should only see a bubble surface now and then. (If the water boils, the seitan will become very bubbly and holey on the inside).
    • After 45 minutes, turn the heat off, remove the lid and leave the seitan to rest in the broth for 15 minutes.
    • Place the seitan in a strainer to drain off the excess liquid. Once completely cool, transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge, where it will keep for a week.
    • Before serving, pan fry the strips of seitan in a little olive oil. Add seasonings, to taste. For kebabs and curries, I like to flavour the home-made seitan with 1 tsp each of smoked paprika and ground cumin.

    Notes

    Recipe adapted from ‘Simple Seitan’ by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero in Veganomicon
    Keyword Seitan, Vegan Kebabs, Vegan Sandwiches