Not unlike meat, seitan can develop every texture from soft and juicy to firm and chewy. This makes seitan an amazing alternative to any meat, which is why in this recipe, we tried our hands at the main event of the meats. By adding sparkling water to the mix, our seitan is softer than many tough store-bought seitan cutlets. It goes perfectly with potatoes, but you can also cut this steak in strips, roast it with some soy sauce, and add it to a sandwich.
Ingredients
For the Roasted Potatoes
- 5 medium-sized potatoes
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt + more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
For Herb Butter Spread
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely cut
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely cut
- 1 pinch salt
For the Seitan Steak
- ½ tablespoon canola oil
- ½ large white onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ cup (40 g) chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sparkling water
- ¾ cup (90 g) vital wheat gluten
How to Make It
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For the Roasted Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 480°F/250°C.
- Peel (if desired) and cut the potatoes into large chunks.
- Toss them in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and dried rosemary.
- Bake them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and crispy. For Herb Butter Spread
- Mash together all ingredients. Set aside in the fridge. For the Seitan Steak
- In a large pan with canola oil, sauté the chopped onion and garlic clove until soft. Add in the cumin and fennel seeds and cook until the spices are toasted.
- In a food processor, add the chickpeas, onion-garlic-spice mixture, tomato paste, salt, thyme, smoked paprika, soy sauce, and sparkling water. Pulse until saucy, then add the vital wheat gluten and pulse again until mixture comes together in a ball.
- Add a steaming basket to a large pot and fill with a couple of inches of water. Bring the water to a boil.
- Divide the seitan into 2 equal pieces and roll them out with a rolling pin until ½ inch (1–2 cm) thick. Add the seitan filets into the steaming basket and let them steam for about 20 minutes, flipping them after 10 minutes.
- For perfect grill marks, after steaming cook the seitan steaks for 1 to 2 minutes on each side in a grilling pan. They are delicious topped with the herb butter and served with a side of baked potatoes and BBQ sauce.