How I make Seitan

Happy AAPI Heritage Month! I’m celebrating this month the only way I know how - by talking about Asian food & cooking. Over the next few weeks, I’ll highlight a few of my favorite Asian plant-based ingredients, common pantry staples, and basic kitchen tools.

To kick off this month, let’s spotlight this plant-based and protein-rich food: Seitan (no, not Satan lol). It originated in China, but the word ‘Seitan’ was coined in Japan. It was developed by Buddhist monks and is now embraced worldwide for its chewy, meaty texture and flavor.

Basic Seitan recipe

Dry ingredients:
1.5 cups (200g) vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup (30g) chickpea flour
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp mushroom seasoning
1 tsp ground black pepper

Wet ingredients:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup hot water
1 vegetable bouillon cube

1. Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry mixture. Combine until it forms a dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Cover and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
2. The seitan should be a lot more elastic now. Cut into two equal pieces. Place the seitan in a parchment paper-lined steaming basket and steam it for 40 minutes, flipping halfway.
3. It is now ready to use in a recipe!

#AAPImonth #AsianAmericanPacificIslander