Seitan is a meat substitute derived from wheat gluten. It is an ingredient commonly used in Japanese, Chinese and Korean cuisine. We owe it to its popularization in Russia thanks to the growing number of people adhering to vegetarian and vegan diets. How to make seitan?
Seitan - what is it and how is it done?
Seitan is pure wheat gluten with added spices. It is commonly used in the kitchens of countries such as Japan, China, Korea, and Russia. The creator of the name of this product is George Osawa, the father of the philosophy of macrobiotics and diet.
The term seitan means gluten-free meat. This is a completely vegan product. It is mainly used as a meat substitute. Many people wonder what seitan is made of. It is worth recalling here that the process of obtaining gluten has been known to man for about 300 years. Gluten on seitan is obtained by leaching protein from wheat flour. Making seitan involves mixing flour with spices, soy sauce and water, then kneading the dough, rinsing it, shaping it, and boiling it in broth for 60 minutes. The resulting product has an elastic and durable structure. After boiling, it is usable, but most often it undergoes further heat treatment to enhance its taste, for example, frying, baking or stewing.
Seitan is used as a meat substitute in various religious systems such as Buddhism. It is also used in the production of vegetable hamburgers, schnitzels, cutlets, sausages and minced meat. Baked seitan is especially popular in the United States.
Nutritional value and calorie content of seitan
Seitan is similar in taste and consistency to meat. Therefore, it is being considered as a culinary alternative to animal products on a vegan diet. Nutritionally, it is a food that provides almost exclusively low-quality protein in the form of wheat gluten. Raw gluten contains about 65% water. In dry matter, it contains:
- about 75-86 percent protein,
- 10 percent polysaccharides
- 8 percent fat (unsaturated fatty acids only)
- 2 percent minerals.
It is a source of a certain amount of iron and B vitamins. However, it is difficult to say that seitan is a food with a high nutritional value. Remember, because of gluten, it is not intended for people with celiac disease, wheat allergy, or gluten intolerance. As already mentioned, seitan provides calories mainly in the form of protein - 100 g of this product equals 246 kcal.
How to make seitan?
It is worth knowing that this product can be prepared at home. The recipe for seitan is extremely simple. It can be modified by adding different types of spices.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of wheat flour
- 2 glasses of water
- half a glass of soy sauce,
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons of granulated garlic,
- for brine: 3 cups of water, ½ cup of soy sauce, a tablespoon of sweet pepper, a tablespoon of granulated garlic, a teaspoon of sugar.
Knead the dough from these ingredients. Let sit for 30 minutes in a large bowl covered with a cloth. Then add a large amount of very cold water to a bowl and gently knead the dough. When the water turns white, drain it and repeat the previous step. The rinse should take about 15-20 minutes. We carefully press the resulting gluten and give it any compact shape. Boil the brine ingredients and carefully place the seitan in it. Cook over low heat for about 60 minutes. After this time, the seitan is ready for use.
It is worth noting that the finished product can be purchased at health food stores. It comes in many forms. Seitan powder is available, for example, at a price of 400 rubles. per kilogram. The sale also includes pickled seitan and seitan cutlets.
Seitan recipes
Seitan is a culinary alternative to meat for a vegetarian diet. However, many are wondering how to cook it? It is worth knowing that it is suitable for baking, boiling, frying, grilling and stewing. It can also be viewed as a sausage and added to salads or sandwiches. Examples of recipes using seitan are given below.
Seitan stew
Ingredients:
- carrot,
- zucchini,
- pepper,
- seitan,
- butter,
- spice,
- vegetable broth,
- buckwheat flour,
- brown rice,
- beet.
Cut the vegetables into cubes and fry in olive oil. Cut the prepared seitan into cubes and sprinkle with flour. Add to vegetables and fry a little. Season, then add a small amount of broth and stir. Goulash can be thickened with Greek yogurt. Serve with boiled rice and beetroot or pickled cucumber.
Seitan cutlets
Ingredients for seitan:
- a glass of wheat gluten,
- 2 tsp of onion powder
- 2 tablespoons of yeast flakes,
- 2 teaspoons of granulated garlic,
- a flat teaspoon of salt
- a teaspoon of pepper
- a spoonful of soy sauce
- ¾ a glass of vegetable broth.
After mixing all the ingredients, make the dough as for dumplings. After compacting, set aside for 5 minutes. Cut into slices and finely chop like meat. Place them on baking paper and bake at 180oC for about 15 minutes (halfway up).
Ingredients for dough and glaze:
- ¾ a glass of wheat flour,
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- ¾ a glass of almond milk,
- breadcrumbs,
- frying oil.
Combine flour with garlic, oregano, and almond drink. Dip the seitan in the resulting mass, and then in breadcrumbs. Fry until golden brown on both sides.
Seitan can replace meat?
In an era of high popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets, Seitan is increasingly starting to appear on tables in Russia. It should be seen as a culinary meat substitute. This is due to its taste and texture. It can be used to prepare a wide variety of dishes, both hot and cold.
However, from a nutritional point of view, seitan should not be seen as a substitute for meat products. It is a source of protein, but we are talking about gluten proteins. They are of low biological quality. They lack, among other things, an important amino acid that is not produced by the human body - lysine. In addition, seitan is low in vitamins and minerals. On a vegan diet, meals made with added pods are a much better substitute for meat.
When talking about the disadvantages of seitan, one should consider how it is prepared. Frying in fat leads to a significant increase in its calorific value and also makes it difficult to digest the product. Seitan should not be used on a gluten-free diet. Due to its low nutritional value and at the same time great culinary benefits, it should be considered as a variation on the daily lean diet menu.
