This seitan satay is inspired by the satay that originates in Indonesia, and which is served in many Southeast Asian countries in regional variations. The grilled meat skewers are often dipped in peanut sauce.
In the colonial era, the dish was adapted by the Dutch cuisine and became extremely popular in the Netherlands. That way I got to know satay as a child and have worked a lot on vegetarian and later vegan versions for many years.
The seitan satay can also be prepared in advance and taken to a barbecue to put on the grill, and I also like them cold from the lunchbox.
What equipment do I need to steam seitan?
I use my Instant pot* and a steamer basket* to steam the seitan for my satay, but before I had it, I used to put a vegetable steamer* in my old rice cooker for 40 minutes, that worked well too. It should also be possible to steam the seitan in a regular saucepan with the vegetable steamer, but I haven’t tried that. I would steam the seitan a little longer in that case. Steaming a little longer is no problem, but if you don’t steam it long enough, you might end up with chewing gum.
I also have a delicious soy satay on my blog, it is a bit quicker and easier than steaming the seitan.
Ingredients for the seitan skewers that some might not know yet:
Seitan
Seitan is a versatile meat alternative made from wheat gluten. It is known for its firm, meat-like texture and high protein content, making it a popular choice for vegan and vegetarian dishes, and especially for seitan satay.
Smoked paprika powder
Smoked paprika powder, also known as smoked paprika, traditionally comes from Spain and is made from sun-dried peppers that are smoked over oak wood. It imparts a deep, smoky aroma with a mild to moderately spicy heat to dishes.
5-spice blend
This Chinese spice blend combines the five basic flavors—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty—in perfect balance. It typically contains star anise, Sichuan pepper, fennel, cinnamon, and cloves. Often used in Asian cuisine for meat dishes, tofu marinades, or aromatic broths, it adds a warm, complex seasoning. Perfect for the seitan satay.
Shiro Miso
Shiro Miso, also known as white miso paste, is a mild and slightly sweet fermented soybean paste from Japan. Due to its shorter fermentation time, it has a gentle, umami-rich flavor and is excellent for soups, dressings, sauces, or as a base for flavorful marinades.
Liquid smoke
Liquid smoke is a condensed smoke extract derived from burned wood that imparts a rich, smoky flavor to food. It is often used as a vegan alternative to smoked meat or bacon flavoring and is ideal for the seitan satay skewers.
What can you add to the seitan satay skewers?
- spicy peanut sauce
- Sambal Oelek (Indonesian chili sauce)
- Ketjap Manis (Indonesian dark sweet soy sauce)
- limes
- vegan kroepoek, which you can find in some vegan specialty stores and big supermarkets
- pink pickled onions
To make beautiful pink onions for garnishing the seitan satay, you need 2 large red onions, 120ml apple cider vinegar, 240ml water, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Cut the onions into half rings and place them in a clean container (500ml) with a lid. Heat up the apple cider vinegar, water, sea salt and maple syrup (doesn’t have to boil) and pour over the onions. Put the lid on and let it cool down. Then, put the jar in the fridge. You can already eat the onions, but they will have their most beautiful color after about 48 hours. They should last for approximately 2 weeks.
What other dishes go well with the seitan satay?
SEITAN SATAY
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 120 g vital wheat gluten*
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika powder* pimenton de la vera
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon 5 spice powder*
- 160 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon shiro miso paste*
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 2-3 tablespoons spicy peanut sauce for glazing
Garnishing
- cilantro and lime wedges
- pink pickled onions see blogpost
Instructions
- First, gather all your ingredients and prepare them in the right amounts. That makes it so much easier and more fun and you're less likely to forget anything.
- Mix vital wheat gluten and spices well. Then mix water, soy sauce, liquid smoke and miso well in a separate bowl.
- Combine dry and liquid ingredients and knead into a soft dough for about a minute, then put it aside for about five minutes.
- Knead again and tear into little pieces, about hazelnut sized, then wrap it tightly in parchment paper. I use one sheet cut in halves and wrap half of the seitan in each of them. This is the way it works best for me. If not wrapped, the seitan has too much room to expand and can get spongy, and if wrapped all in just one sheet, the middle pieces take too long to cook and become too chewy. That also happens when the pieces are too big.
- Fill about 400 ml water into the instant pot, set the seitan packages into the steamer basket, close the lid and the valve, press "pressure cook" and steam for 20 minutes. After that, wait for another 10 minutes before opening.
- Take the seitan out, let it cool off for a moment, pull the pieces apart and roast them golden brown in a pan. Add a little peanut sauce to glaze them. Then put them on skewers and serve with the sauce.
- Serve with more peanut sauce and garnish them with lime, pink onions and cilantro.
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this is a brilliant recipe. it’s almost unbelievable how much protein is in these moorish morsels 🤤
thank you 😊
Thank you so much 🙂