How to make seitan: vegetable meat recipe

Known as the vegetable meat, the seitan it can be turned into a delicious, nutritious and healthy substitute for animal meat, not only because of its protein content - vegetables - but also because of its texture and flavor, which, after cooking, is very reminiscent of it. As we explained what seitan is, it is a product of natural origin that is made from the wheat gluten, which is traditionally cooked with tamari or soy sauce, kombu seaweed and ginger.

It is one of the most popular dishes of vegetarian and macrobiotic cuisine, along with tofu (another of the most well-known and consumed recipes). And although it is considered a modern dish, it is originally based on traditional gluten elaborations from China and Japan. In the latter country there is a product known by the name of fu, which is toasted, steamed and dried.

Ingredients to make seitan

1 kg. of force flour + 1/2 kg. of strength flour
10 gr. of sea salt
600 ml. of water + water
2 strips of kombu seaweed
1 head of garlic
250 ml. of soy sauce per liter of water

Steps to make seitan

In a bowl mix the flour with salt.
Pour half the water and stir (you can add more flour as you stir and mix, until you get a compact mass that does not stick on your fingers).
Mix well and knead until the dough is elastic and thin. Now form a ball. Then insert it in a large container, cover it with water and leave it there at rest for 45 minutes.
Place the dough in the colander. Remove the water from the previous bowl and refill it again with clean water. Dip the dough back into the bowl water. You will notice that the water will acquire a whitish color because the flour will begin to lose its grain. When the water is very milky or white, remove it and put back clean water. Now the dough will start to get fibrous (therefore you should treat it with extreme care).
Again, repeat the process of washing the dough. So until the water is completely transparent (it is an indicator that the starch has been completely eliminated, and therefore only the wheat protein or gluten remains).
Fill a pot with plenty of water, until it covers the seitan completely (but without incorporating it or adding it yet).
Peel the head of garlic.
Add the soy sauce, the peeled garlic and the kombu seaweed strips. Put everything on fire.
When it starts to boil is the ideal time to introduce the seitan in the water. Lower the heat to medium-low temperature and cook for 45 minutes, turning it occasionally (so that the seitan cooks on both sides).
After the time, extinguish the fire, cover and let cool.
Once cold, you can cut the seitan into pieces or slices.

How to preserve seitan once it is made at home

In a recent hermetic seitan is kept and kept in perfect condition, stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. Of course, it is convenient to keep it with the cooking sauce; in this way we will prevent it from drying out.