Thai Seitan Stir-Fry

Seitan("say-tan), also known as wheat-meat or mock meat, is made from wheat by washing away the starch until only the wheat protein or gluten is left. You may find this on the menu of some Chinese or Thai restaurants.

You'll find seitan in the refrigerated or freezer section of natural food stores or some grocery stores. Seitan can be cooked in many ways. It can be stir-fried, baked, broiled or grilled.

I had this pack of seitan in my refrigerator for some time. Couple days ago, I came across a recipe in one of my books, The Vegetarian Bible, and tried it for dinner. It came out very good. My daughter who is not a big fan of mock-meat, relished it.

Ingredients:
1 package(8 ounces) seitan, drained and thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded
3 cloves garlic
1 piece peeled fresh ginger(1 inch)
1/3 C soy sauce
1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C lime juice
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t salt
3 T oil
1 medium oinon, chopped
2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 C fresh broccoli florets
1/4 C shredded fresh Thai basil(or regular)
3 green onions, sliced diagonally
4 C baby spinach
4 C cooked rice
1/4 C roasted peanuts, chopped

Method:
1. Place seitan slices in medium bowl. Combine jalapeno, garlic and ginger in food processor; process until finely chopped. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, red pepper flakes and salt; process until blended. Pour mixture over seitan; toss to coat. Marinate at least 20 minutes.
2. Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add onion, bell peppers and broccoli; stir-fry 4 minutes. Add seitan with marinade and green onions. Bring to a boil. Stir-fry until vegetables are crisp-tender(3 minutes) and seitan is hot. Add spinach in batches, stirring until wilted.
3. Stir in basil just before serving. Serve over hot rice. Sprinkle with peanuts.

I used sesame oil. It gave a nice flavor to the dish. Thai basil brings a beautiful aroma to the dish. I also used some cauliflowers. Bok Choy could also be used instead of spinach.