Chinese Wheat Gluten - Kao Fu (The Original Seitan)
Chinese Wheat Gluten, more commonly known under its modern name seitan, is a versatile ingredient that's surprisingly simple to prepare from scratch. Made by washing wheat flour dough to remove the starch, it transforms into a chewy, protein-rich base perfect for stir-fries, stews or braising. With its incredible ability to absorb flavors, homemade wheat gluten adds a satisfying bite to any dish.
Ingredients
- 500 g plain flour
- 290 ml water
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the flour and water to a rough dough. Tip it out onto a clean work surface and knead it for 5 minutes until smooth. Place it in large clean bowl, cover with a damp kitchen towel and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Tip it out again and knead it for just one minute more. It should be smooth and elastic. Then return to the bowl, cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Cover the dough with 1l of fresh water and start kneading and squishing it between your hands for around 2 minutes to release the starches, taking care not to tear it apart too much. The water will turn completely white. Drain and repeat 4-5 more times with fresh water or until most of the starches have washed out and the water no longer turns white but only a little cloudy (10-15 minutes). You should be left with a dense, springy mass of gluten. If you want, you can use the starchy water to make Liang Pi Noodles. To boil the gluten, see Notes. To steam, continue below.
- If you have a steamer: Bring a shallow amount of water to a boil in a pan wide enough to hold the steamer. Put the gluten on a plate in the steamer, cover and steam for 30 minutes.
- If you don’t have a steamer: Place the gluten on a ceramic plate. Roll some aluminium foil into three golf ball-sized pieces and put them in a wide pan for which you have a lid, then rest the plate on top of the rolled up foil. Carefully pour in boiling water from the kettle to cover the bottom of the pan by a few centimetres without letting the water touch the plate. Return the water to a rapid boil, reduce the heat and steam covered for 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove the gluten from the plate and cut it into bite-sized slices or pieces. Your gluten is ready to be used in dishes like Braised Wheat Gluten (Kao Fu 烤麩) or Liang Pi (Chinese Spicy Cold Skin Noodles).
Video
Notes
You can also boil the gluten: Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Meanwhile, tear the gluten into around 20 similar sized pieces and set them aside on a large plate. When the water is boiling, take a piece of gluten, stretch it out a little bit and drop it into the water. Repeat with the rest and cook for around 5 minutes until all of the pieces float on the surface, then drain.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze for up to three months. When ready to use, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight and use as desired.