Seitan is made from pure wheat gluten. It is characterized by a high protein content, which is reflected in its name proposed by George Ohsawa – a supporter of the macrobiotic diet. Seitan in Japanese means “made of protein”.
Seitan is not an invention of our times. It has been produced by Buddhists since the 6th century. It gained popularity with the spread of vegetarian dishes it is a meat substitute. Thanks to its porous and fibrous structure, it perfectly imitates meat. It has a neutral taste, but perfectly absorbs spices and marinadesso you can give it the taste of any meat. Many people reach for it precisely because of its taste and culinary possibilities. It is a perfect addition to your diet.
Seitan can be made at home from wheat flour, but the process is quite time-consuming because it requires washing out the starch from the flour to obtain pure gluten. A better way is to buy pure wheat gluten powder and mix it with water. In health food and world cuisine stores you can also find ready-made seitan, sold similarly to tofu, in small blocks.
Seitan is a rich source of protein. 100 g of the product contains approximately 75 g of protein, whereas grilled chicken breast contains 27 g of it.. It is worth noting, however, that it does not provide all the essential amino acids, so it is worth supplementing your diet with other sources of protein.
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In terms of mineral content, seitan is quite poor. It contains a large amount of selenium. It also contains phosphorus and calcium, as well as copper and trace amounts of iron. A much richer source of protein and nutrients are legumes, which should not be missing in a properly balanced diet.
From 1 kg of wheat flour you can obtain approximately 600 g of seitan. To make seitan, simply mix water with wheat flour and knead until you obtain a springy dough. Then rinse the dough thoroughly in clean water to remove starch or knead it under running water. This step is a bit problematic, that’s why most people decides to buy pure gluten powder. Simply mix this product with water and knead.
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You can immediately add spices to the dough to enrich its taste. The next step in preparing seitan is cooking it in broth. Place the dough formed into a block in the broth and cook for about an hour. This way, seitan will acquire its characteristic consistency. Cooked and cooled seitan can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Ready seitan can be further processed and treated like meat. Before cooking, frying or baking, it is worth marinating it. Thanks to this, the spices will penetrate deep into the dough and the seitan will acquire an intense flavor. You can cut the marinated seitan and fry it in a regular or grill pan. You might as well bake it like a roast in the oven, stew it in a pan, boil it or even coat it in breadcrumbs and fry it like chicken.
Vegetables go well with a dish with seitan as they provide valuable vitamins and minerals. It is also worth adding animal products, such as dairy products, which will increase the absorption of protein from wheat gluten, e.g. in the form of cucumber soup.
Source: Terazgotuje.pl, dietetyki.org.pl, naturallyzdrowe.pl
