How do I make tasty seitan in a pressure cooker?
Today I made my first seitan. I mixed gluten some spices and herbs with cold water and kneaded a bit, then boiled in broth for 40 minutes; I failed to leave it undisturbed. When done, the chunks were clearly a great part water, but I threw them on a hot pan indifferently and fried them with oil and some more spices.
When I ate them, I found them a bit spongier than I would like, but overall insipid. Would following this recipe improve my results? How should I go about replacing the pot with an electric pressure cooker?
Best Answer
In my experience a pressure cooker does not greatly influence the taste nor the texture of seitan.
The same recipes apply for cooking in a regular soup pot and in a pressure cooker, but here are some suggestions that might help:
Texture:
The sponginess can be reduced by making a bit dryer (less hydrated) seitan dough and kneading it a little more, which makes it more compact and chewier. Also I find that the next day (after the cooked seitan was sitting in broth) the texture tends to be a bit better.
Flavor:
If the broth is too weak (cause of diffusion) the flavor gets washed out of the seitan ... so I always make quite a strong broth (i.e. on the spacier/saltier side). Adding something like some shiitake can help add more richness and umami.
I had great success with variants on this Miyoko's recipe for "unturkey" ... at least the proportions/ratios of spices/salt/soysauce are quite good ... but then you can experiment with different spices (I like it with a bit of smokiness and heat, so I usually add some chipotle chiles).
What this recipe also suggests is:
- adding a little bit of chickpea flour to the active gluten (1/4 cup chickpea to 4 cups of gluten), and
- pre-baking the seitan before boiling
both also contribute to a nicer texture and crust.
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How do you make seitan in a pressure cooker?
Instant Pot Cooking Instructions: Add a cup of water to the base of your Pressure Cooker and insert the steaming basket. Add the seitan log to the steaming basket, close the lid, set the pressure valve to "sealing" and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.How do you make seitan taste good?
The best way to make seitan taste good is to simmer it very gently in a seasoned broth that imparts flavor. Then you can dry the seitan and use it as a meat replacement in a wide range of foods, where it adds texture, flavor, and plant-based protein.How can you improve the texture of seitan?
6 Tips to Make Seitan Less Spongy + More Meaty (Texture Guide)Why did my seitan turn out rubbery?
Seitan gets rubbery when it is kneaded too much. Knead it even more and it becomes spongy. Knead it too little and it is soft and doughy. The perfect seitan consistency is achieved by mixing and kneading it just the right amount.Make Seitan Quick and Easy in a Pressure Cooker
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Answer 2
Seitan that is boiled can get a kind of rubbery texture if it is cooked above a simmer, which your pressure cooker would definitely do. Seitan that is boiled also has a tendency to expand a lot, which can lead to sponginess.
A few ways to combat this are to add a little bit of another type of flour to combat the rubbery texture. Just a few tablespoons of whole wheat, garbanzo, almond, or about any flour will help. If you still boil it, it will expand, but the sponginess may not be as noticeable with a more tender texture.
To avoid the actual expansion, you can either simmer it it a lower temperature or cook it by a different method. I've had decent luck steaming seitan, but my preferred method is to braise or bake it. This leads to a denser texture, which I prefer. Keep in mind though, that since it isn't cooking in a broth (aside from the small amount for braising), you'll need to add more flavor to the dough itself.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Alex Green, Katerina Holmes, SHVETS production, Katerina Holmes