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 mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Servings 700 g / 25 oz (approx)
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
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.
Recipe adapted from ‘Simple Seitan’ by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero in Veganomicon
Keyword Seitan, Vegan Kebabs, Vegan Sandwiches