Spicy Seitan Stew with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes
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During cutting phases, which for me usually happen towards the summer, there are several foods I really love to eat.
One of them is seitan.
Seitan is a traditional food that, like tofu, originated in the East. It was
likely invented by Buddhist monks and made its way to the West in the 1960s via hippies and the start of the vegetarian movement in the US and Europe.
Seitan is produced by preparing a wheat flour dough and then washing out all the starch with water.
What remains behind is the wheat protein without the carbohydrate – gluten.
Gluten is the grain's protein and not a carbohydrate, as many people think.
It's not all perfect:
Even though seitan is very high in protein, the protein quality is relatively low compared to other protein sources like soy or peas.
But that doesn't mean you can't eat seitan and achieve impressive physical results like leaning out or building muscle mass.
There's no need to rely solely on seitan as a protein source, but you can definitely add it to your menu and eat it alongside other legumes and grains.
The distinct nutritional advantage is: it is low in carbs and low in fat, and in my opinion, it's very effective during cutting periods.
How to eat it:
Store-bought seitan (natural, without added flavoring) has a strong and dominant taste that many find difficult to like.
My advice: chop it finely and cook it with sauces rich in bold flavors.
Like, for example, this spicy seitan stew with roasted eggplants and tomatoes.
A rich and easy-to-prepare stew with a spicy red sauce that goes perfectly with rice, couscous, or even inside a pita.
Answering here collectively:
Yes! You can replace the seitan with tofu, but the nutritional values will be different.
A bit about the recipe
Eggplants:
I really love using roasted eggplants because they are very low in calories (as long as you don't add oil) and create a lot of volume for the stew,
as well as a bold, smoky flavor that pairs wonderfully with tomatoes and the spices.
If you don't want to or can't roast the eggplant over an open flame, you can also roast it in the oven or buy natural eggplant salad without tahini or added oil.
You can substitute it with the same amount of roasted or grated zucchini, grated carrots, cabbage, or any other vegetable you like.
Tomatoes:
In the recipe, I added half a can of crushed tomatoes to add mass to the sauce, wonderful flavor, and some lycopene (an antioxidant found in tomatoes).
Spices:
I added plenty of the ones I love and think pair well:
Cumin, turmeric, and a wonderful smoked paprika I received from "The Spice Route Farm". I didn't get paid for this; their paprika is truly wonderful and I wanted to tell the world.
Don't like a certain spice? No problem. Replace it with any other spice. You can use a bit of cinnamon instead of cumin or baharat instead of paprika. Go with the flow. At worst, it will come out delicious.
Nutritional values for Seitan Stew with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes
- 400 calories
- 54g protein
- 29g carbohydrates
- 8g fat (of which 1g is saturated fat)
Want another recipe with seitan? Click here
Seitan Stew with Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes
A spicy stew rich in protein and low in calories
Ingredients
- 1 Fresh medium eggplant approx. 300g (or 100g ready-made roasted eggplant salad)
- 200 g Natural unseasoned seitan, chopped into small cubes
- half onion
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp crushed chili
- 1 tsp turmeric
- pinch salt
- 100 g crushed tomatoes
- 1 minced garlic clove
- a bit of water
- a bit of chopped scallions for garnish
Instructions
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Wash the eggplant well and place it over an open flame
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Roast the eggplant well for about 10 minutes until the skin is completely charred and the eggplant collapses/loses volume
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Alternatively, roast in the oven at a very high heat for about 10-15 minutes
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Using a knife, slit the eggplant lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh, discarding the charred skin
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Roughly chop the eggplant flesh with a knife and set aside
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Heat olive oil in a pan and add the dry spices: cumin, paprika, turmeric, and chili
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Fry on low heat for about a minute while stirring, just to bloom the flavors
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Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until the onion becomes translucent
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Add the chopped seitan to the pan and sauté for a few minutes while stirring
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Add the roasted eggplant flesh and the crushed tomatoes and mix well
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Cook for about 10 minutes on a very low flame
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Keep an eye on the stew so it doesn't burn. If it gets too dry, add a quarter cup of water and stir
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Sprinkle some scallions on top and serve hot alongside rice, whole wheat couscous, or inside a whole wheat pita
Recipe Video
