Wheat gluten is a product made of wheat protein. The starch is washed away from the dough made of wheat flour and water, leaving just the protein. This protein is also simply called gluten.
This way it can easily be prepared and processed in all kinds of ways. Wheat gluten is a great alternative to soy-based meat substitutes, such as tofu. Wheat gluten has been used for years in Asian, vegetarian, Buddhist and macrobiotic cuisines.
The wheat protein is most popular in China. It is thought that it was obtained there for the first time. It is common in Asia, in restaurants that mainly serve Buddhist customers, who don't consume meat but still love to eat meatless versions of meat dishes. Out West, ready-made wheat gluten can be found in Asian markets and health food stores.
Wheat gluten is marinated in tamari (soya sauce) ahead of time. It is a ready-to-eat product, used for sandwiches and stews for example.
Wheat gluten can be used to make grilled vegetable skewers, or bake them in the oven with potatoes or fry it in a pan on its own, sprinkled with powdered garlic.
It's also great for making vegetarian moussaka. All you have to do is put it in at the end - it doesn't need to cook long like meat does.
Let us now offer you a very scrumptious recipe with wheat gluten and a slight influence from Asian cuisine:
Vegetarian Tikka Masala
Ingredients:
For the marinade: 1 cup soya yoghurt, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground paprika, 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 pinch of salt, 1 tsp ground ginger, 2 packs of 1 cup wheat gluten each.
For the sauce: 1 tbsp soya butter, 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garam masala (a spice mix emblematic of Indian cuisine), 1 pinch of salt, 1 cup canned tomato sauce, 1 cup soya cream, 1/4 cup freshly chopped coriander.
Preparation:
Marinade: Mix the yoghurt, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, black pepper, cinnamon, salt and ginger in a bowl. Add the wheat gluten and let it marinate for 1 hour in the fridge.
Sauce: Melt the butter in a large and deep pan on medium heat. Add the coriander, cumin, paprika, garam masala and salt. Pour in the tomato sauce and leave it to simmer for 15 min. Then add in the cream and leave it on the stove until the sauce thickens - about 5 min.
In the meantime, heat a grill and cook the wheat gluten until read - about 8 min. Take the product off the grill and add it to the sauce. Leave it for 5 min. to simmer.
Serve the dish sprinkled with chopped coriander. Individuals who are gluten intolerant must not use wheat gluten under any circumstances.
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