Curry Seitan
I had this in a banh mi sandwich prepared by the Hot Knives duo at the Verdugo Bar. It was juicy and amazingly delicious. This goes great as a burger patty too.
I had this in a banh mi sandwich prepared by the Hot Knives duo at the Verdugo Bar. It was juicy and amazingly delicious. This goes great as a burger patty too.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 0.5 cup soy sauce
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 bunch cilantro (stems only)
- 0.5 cup canola oil
- 3 cups gluten flour
- 1.5 cups pastry flour
- 4 tablespoons turmeric powder
- 3 tablespoons coriander ground
- 2 tablespoons cumin ground
- 1 tablespoons lemongrass ground
- 1 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 cups cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoons fresh black pepper
- 1 canola oil spray
- Carbohydrate 138.889011738916 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 25.5336916675945 g
- Fiber 6.94573343818714 g
- Protein 23.7297783431137 g
- Saturated Fat 2.43960533348009 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (417g)
- Sodium 4485.88733333523 mg
- Sugar 131.943278300729 g
- Trans Fat 1.16677766697438 g
- Calories 883 calories
Step-by-step
- Start by making 4 cups of cilantro-steeped stock. We suggest using 4 cups filtered water blended with bullion on high heat for 5 minutes. (Broth from the box also works, there's no need to make your own stock for this.) In a large pot, place broth on medium heat. Line up the cilantro stems and finely mince so you have about 1/2 cup. Toss half in the broth, and set the other half aside to add directly to the seitan. Let it reach a boil then turn off and cool for 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Prepare your counter space by laying out all the necessary dry ingredients, a measuring cup (1 cup), 2 large mixing bowls, a towel, a bread pan, aluminum foil, wax paper, olive oil and canola spray.
- Now mix the dry ingredients in one bowl: the flour, the spices and salt. Finally grind the fresh cilantro coarsely in a mortar and pestle or with a knife (a clean coffee grinder also works) and toss that in too.
- In the second bowl, measure out the wet ingredients: stock, canola oil and soy sauce. Whisk well.
- Slowly pour about half the wet ingredients into the dry bowl and mix roughly with your hands. Flick off goo bits and towel dry hands. Pour in the rest of the liquid, saving a tablespoon or so just in case. (You want a gloopy bread batter that sticks together if you try to flip it in the bowl but can also be easily pulled apart.) Add last bit unless it seems too wet.
- Break off enough wax paper to line your bread pan. Spray the sides of the pan with a touch of canola, then lay it down. Spray even more on the top side of the wax paper to keep seitan from sticking. Grind a decent teaspoon or so of fresh black pepper.
- You're ready to dump-slide the seitan blob into your lined bread pan. Coat with a touch of olive oil on top, more black pepper and seal with aluminum foil.
- Finally make a double-boiler by simply filling a large roasting dish one-third full with water and place the seitan loaf inside. This will gently bake the fucker. Put the whole thing in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- When your timer blows up, pull loaf out and uncover. Check doneness by poking with a fork. You want it to still be pliable and soft but slightly browned. Stick it in for 10 more minutes for color and remove. Turn bread over to separate loaf from wax paper (gentle) and slice to serve, sear or reheat!
Wheat gluten does the heavy lifting in this recipe. Vital wheat gluten provides the protein matrix necessary for a firm, chewable bite without requiring animal proteins. Mixing high-protein gluten flour with pastry flour softens the final texture. Pure gluten creates a rubbery product if used alone. Blending it with lower-protein flour controls the density of the cooked loaf.
Spices undergo chemical changes when exposed to moist heat over long cooking periods. Turmeric, coriander, cumin, and lemongrass release fat-soluble aromatic compounds into the surrounding dough. Soy sauce contributes free amino acids and sodium, triggering Maillard reactions at the surface during baking. This chemical interaction deepens the savory profile of the loaf.
Baking the loaf inside a water bath prevents scorching. Enclosing the pan in aluminum foil traps steam while the surrounding water maintains a steady 375 degrees Fahrenheit oven environment. This double-boiler method ensures even heat transfer. The starch and protein network solidifies gradually over one hour and twenty minutes without drying out the exterior.
Dietary adaptations are straightforward for this formulation. Replace soy sauce with tamari for a certified gluten-free alternative if serving guests with sensitivities, though the base seitan itself remains dependent on wheat. Slice the cooled loaf and pan-sear portions in neutral oil to develop a crisp crust before adding the protein to sandwiches or grain bowls.
