Marinated grilled seitan is sublime. Flavorful and simultaneously tender and chewy, it makes the most amazing gyros and fajitas. Something I've often wanted to try is tandoori seitan. The authentic meat and dairy-laden version of this is usually chicken, marinated in spiced yogurt. The seitan would stand in for the chicken, but what about the yogurt? I could make a special trip to Whole Foods, but the soy yogurt they carry is expensive and overly sweetened and they're frequently out of the plain version. So, I put my idea on the back burner.
Then Vaishali wrote on her blog Holy Cow about making a quick homemade tofu yogurt for curd rice. A few days after reading her post, I realized that the yogurt would be perfect for my tandoori idea (thanks for figuring the yogurt out, Vaishali!). Since the yogurt made more than I needed for a marinade, I used the rest in a cucumber raita, to cool us off after the heat of the tandoori seitan. I rounded out the meal with some basmati rice, store-bought whole wheat naan, and dry okra, also cooked on the grill. It was a feast!
Tandoori Seitan and Cucumber Raita
For the tofu yogurt:
1 package medium-firm tofu, drained (12 or 14 oz) or 1 box firm silken tofu (12 oz)
3/4 cup soy milk
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided use
1 teaspoon salt, divided use
For the tandoori seitan:
All but 1 cup of the tofu yogurt
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste - this amount is fairly mild)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 bay leaves
12 ounces seitan, cut into long, thin strips
For the cucumber raita:
1 cup of the tofu yogurt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh mint chiffonade
The night before you plan to grill the seitan, make the yogurt: Combine the tofu, soy milk, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture in the refrigerator for the raita.
To the remaining yogurt, add the rest of the lemon juice (1 tablespoon), the rest of the salt (1/2 teaspoon), the garlic, garam masala, cayenne pepper, paprika, and turmeric. Blend. In a non-metal bowl, combine the spiced yogurt with the bay leaves and seitan. Set aside in the refrigerator to marinate.
Before preparing a charcoal fire on the grill, make the raita: Combine the reserved tofu yogurt, cumin, sugar, cucumber and mint.
When the fire is ready, remove seitan strips from marinade. Cook on a grill pan, turning frequently, until the marinade has cooked off and the seitan starts getting crispy on the edges. Serve with the raita on the side.
Serves 4
Then Vaishali wrote on her blog Holy Cow about making a quick homemade tofu yogurt for curd rice. A few days after reading her post, I realized that the yogurt would be perfect for my tandoori idea (thanks for figuring the yogurt out, Vaishali!). Since the yogurt made more than I needed for a marinade, I used the rest in a cucumber raita, to cool us off after the heat of the tandoori seitan. I rounded out the meal with some basmati rice, store-bought whole wheat naan, and dry okra, also cooked on the grill. It was a feast!
Tandoori Seitan and Cucumber Raita
For the tofu yogurt:
1 package medium-firm tofu, drained (12 or 14 oz) or 1 box firm silken tofu (12 oz)
3/4 cup soy milk
3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided use
1 teaspoon salt, divided use
For the tandoori seitan:
All but 1 cup of the tofu yogurt
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste - this amount is fairly mild)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 bay leaves
12 ounces seitan, cut into long, thin strips
For the cucumber raita:
1 cup of the tofu yogurt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh mint chiffonade
The night before you plan to grill the seitan, make the yogurt: Combine the tofu, soy milk, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender or food processor. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture in the refrigerator for the raita.
To the remaining yogurt, add the rest of the lemon juice (1 tablespoon), the rest of the salt (1/2 teaspoon), the garlic, garam masala, cayenne pepper, paprika, and turmeric. Blend. In a non-metal bowl, combine the spiced yogurt with the bay leaves and seitan. Set aside in the refrigerator to marinate.
Before preparing a charcoal fire on the grill, make the raita: Combine the reserved tofu yogurt, cumin, sugar, cucumber and mint.
When the fire is ready, remove seitan strips from marinade. Cook on a grill pan, turning frequently, until the marinade has cooked off and the seitan starts getting crispy on the edges. Serve with the raita on the side.
Serves 4
This is really impressive and sounds delicious!
ReplyDelete