Indian-Style Vegan Curry with Seitan
Ever since I traveled to India after my military service, I must admit I haven't been able to get enough of Indian food.
Many years have passed since then, but I still get excited over a good, proper curry dish.
Despite what you might think, making curry at home is not complicated at all, and you don't need to hunt for exotic spices in remote places.
I promise you that you can find all these spices in any local supermarket.
The curry recipe before you is based on crushed tomatoes, both to create volume for the sauce and to maintain a sane calorie level. (It's most fun to add coconut cream, but oh, the calories!)
This time, I chose to use cubes of natural, unseasoned seitan, which is a readily available source of protein.
Seitan is produced from wheat and is actually the gluten protein isolated from wheat dough after all the starch has been washed away.
I particularly like seitan because it is now available in almost all grocery chains and contains a high amount of protein.
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Due to its characteristic neutral taste, I recommend dicing the seitan and pairing it with bold sauces or spices.
Although the BV (Biological Value) of seitan protein is relatively low, this doesn't mean you can't eat seitan during cutting phases (where a high protein intake is required).
You can still achieve excellent results and performance when seitan is used as a protein source in your daily diet.
It goes without saying that Celiac patients and those with gluten sensitivities will not be able to enjoy it.
A bit about the recipe: Vegan Curry
As mentioned, I used natural seitan without seasoning. If you want to replace the seitan, you can use the same amount of tofu cubes. (The nutritional value will vary accordingly).
To create volume for the sauce, I used several tablespoons of crushed tomatoes – you can replace this with any other grated vegetable you like, such as grated eggplant, zucchini, or even grated carrots.
Nutritional values by clinical dietitian and fitness coach Noam Bechar:
A 300g serving of vegan seitan curry contains:
- 270 kcal
- 40g protein
- 23g carbohydrates
- 2g fat
A 150g side of white rice + 1 tsp oil contains:
- 217 kcal
- 4g protein
- 39g carbohydrates
- 5g fat
Vegan Seitan Curry Stew
A vegan seitan curry that you can easily make at home
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp grated ginger root
- 1/2 chili pepper
- 1 tbsp curry spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1/2 tsp cardamom ground
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 4 tbsp crushed tomatoes
- 300 g natural unseasoned seitan cut into small cubes
Instructions
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Sauté the chopped onion in a pan with coconut oil until it becomes translucent.
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Add the ginger, garlic, and chili pepper and sauté for another minute or two.
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Add the dry spices and sauté for about a minute on low heat to "open" their flavors. Be careful not to burn them.
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Add the seitan cubes and mix well until all the spices thoroughly coat the seitan.
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Continue sautéing for a minute or two and then add the crushed tomatoes.
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Stir well until the tomatoes are fully incorporated with the spices.
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Top with some fresh chopped cilantro and serve with white rice.
