Ingredients
Dry
- 1 cup Vital wheat gluten (For the seitan dough)
- 0.25 cup Nutritional yeast (For the seitan dough)
- 1 tsp Garlic powder (For the seitan dough)
- 1 tsp Onion powder (For the seitan dough)
- 2 cup All-purpose flour (1 cup for breading, 1 cup for waffle batter)
- 0.25 cup Cornstarch (For the crispy breading)
- 1 Tbsp Baking powder (For the waffle batter)
- 1.5 tsp Salt (Divided across seitan, breading, and waffles)
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper (For the breading)
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika (For the breading)
- 0.25 tsp Cayenne pepper (For the breading, adjust to taste)
- 1 Tbsp Sugar (For the waffle batter)
Other
- 2 cup Neutral frying oil (Canola, vegetable, or peanut oil for frying)
- 0.5 cup Maple syrup (For serving)
Wet
- 0.75 cup Vegetable broth (For the seitan dough)
- 2 Tbsp Soy sauce (For the seitan dough)
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil (For the seitan dough)
- 1.5 cup Unsweetened plant milk (0.5 cup for buttermilk breading, 1 cup for waffle batter (soy or oat preferred))
- 1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar (To curdle the plant milk into buttermilk)
- 2 Tbsp Vegan butter (Melted, for the waffle batter)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract (For the waffle batter)
Method
- 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt.
- 2. Add the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and olive oil to the dry seitan ingredients. Stir until a dough forms, then knead for 3-5 minutes until elastic.
- 3. Tear or cut the dough into 4-6 flat, 'chicken' sized pieces. Steam the pieces in a steamer basket over boiling water for 25 minutes. Once done, remove and let cool slightly.
- 4. Prepare the vegan buttermilk by mixing 0.5 cup of plant milk with the apple cider vinegar in a shallow bowl. Let it sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
- 5. In another shallow bowl, whisk together 1 cup of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt to create the breading mixture.
- 6. Dip each steamed seitan piece into the vegan buttermilk, then dredge thoroughly in the flour mixture. For extra crunch, repeat this process for a double coating.
- 7. Heat the frying oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully fry the coated seitan pieces for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- 8. To make the waffles, whisk together 1 cup of all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- 9. Add 1 cup of plant milk, melted vegan butter, and vanilla extract to the dry waffle ingredients. Stir until just combined (a few lumps are fine).
- 10. Cook the waffle batter in a preheated, greased waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions until crisp and golden.
- 11. Serve the crispy fried seitan on top of the warm waffles and drizzle generously with maple syrup.
Chef's notes
For the best texture, allow the steamed seitan to cool completely or chill in the refrigerator for an hour before breading and frying. This firms up the 'meat' and helps the breading stick better.