Poached Seitan (Wheat Meat)

This is my first Daring Cooks Challenge. Jenn from Jenn Cuisine and Jill (jillouci) challenged us to prepare poached eggs. I didn’t know what to do, because I am a vegetarian and I don’t use eggs. Then after reading the whole post I saw that they have given a recipe for the vegetarians. That was poached seitan. Wondering about this? When I first read about it I was tensed about preparing it. This is also called as wheat meat. It is a substitute of meat and it is 100% vegan. This is also called gluten , wheat gluten or mock meat. This when used in a dish resembles meat so it is a very popular substitute of meat. This can be used in pizzas, sanwiches, and every recipe using meat.This can be prepared using vital gluten flour or atta. As I didn’t get vital gluten flour here I used wheat flour to prepare it. As an experiment I used half a cup of flour and prepared seitan. Guess what? I succeeded. Then I used 500gm and tried to prepare it. Guess again? It was a flop. I washed out everything including the gluten. Then I realised my mistake. I used a vegetable strainer. That was the mistake. Then I used a fine meshed strainer and the result was a wonderful gluten. Now as I am confident of preparing gluten/seitan I am going to prepare some wonderful dishes for my hubby. Today I am giving the whole process to prepare seitan. I should thank the daring kitchen team for introducing such a nice stuff into my recipe diary. Hope you enjoy.

1. Mix all the ingredients given for sietan to a firm dough.
2. Let it rest for 1 hour.
3. In a wide bowl take water. Keep a strainer into the water.
4. Drop the dough into the strainer and start washing it.
5. The starch will be separated from the dough and the water will become milky.
6. Change water and repeat process till the water becomes white.
7. Again change water and repeat process until the gluten is completely separated from the starch.
8. In a white cloth place the gluten and roll the cloth and tie the ends. Keep it a little loose because the sietan expands when poaching.
9. In a rice cooker add all the ingredients given for poaching liquid.
10. Let it boil for 45minutes.
11. Place the cloth roll inside the liquid and let it boil for 1 hour.
12. The seitan will become hard to touch.
13. Remove from liquid and let it cool.
14. Remove seitan from cloth and make thin slices.
15. In a pan heat oil and add cloves and tomatoes.
16. Saute till the tomatoes are mashed.
17. Add salt, red chilly and coriander powder.
18. Cook till the raw smell vanishes.
19. Grind it to a fine paste.
20. Serve with the poached seitans.

Prepare firm dough

Keep the fine strainer in a wide bowl of water

Keep the dough inside the strainer

Wash it to remove starch

You can see the starch seperating from gluten

When the water becomes milky change it

When water is clear you get an elasticised  gluten

Keep it in a white cloth

Roll the cloth loosely

Tie the ends

In a rice cooker add the vegetables

After 45 minutes add the gluten roll

After 1 hour it will be bigger and firm to touch

When cool remove from cloth

Slice it up

Serve with sauce