Vietnamese Lemongrass Seitan Crispy Rice

This lemongrass recipe is in collaboration with Tiff of @tifflovestofu and her latest newsletter Tiff’s Table! There are so many great flavors and textures in this recipe and it’s also easily customizable. Plus, it’s great for meal-prep!The homemade seitan is cooked with an aromatic blend of shallots, garlic, and lemongrass before being reduced in a sweet & savory sauce. The lemongrass seitan is served on a bed of crispy rice and paired with a Vietnamese sauce/dressing, pickled carrot, crunchy cucumber, tomato, and cilantro.

📝 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm vegetable broth (or water)
• 1/2-1 tbsp white miso paste ((see notes))
• 3/4 cup vital wheat gluten (, 100 g)
• 2 tbsp chickpea flour (, 20 g)
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tbsp mushroom bouillon powder (optional, see notes)
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper or black pepper
• 2-3 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)
• 1-2 tbsp vegan fish sauce (to taste)
• 1-2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1/2 to 1 tbsp sugar (adjust to desired sweetness)
• 3-4 tbsp maple syrup (adjust to desired sweetness)
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (I used avocado oil)
• 2-3 tbsp room temperature water
• Neutral cooking oil
• 1-2 cups cooked and cooled medium grain rice (jasmine rice works great)
• 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• 1 shallot (finely minced)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tbsp minced lemongrass (I used frozen)
• 2 tbsp vegan fish sauce ((sub for light soy sauce or Yondu))
• 1 tbsp Chili Garlic Sauce ((Huy Fong or Lee Kum Kee))
• 2 tbsp sugar (, adjust to taste)
• 1 lime (, juiced)
• 2 cloves garlic (, minced)
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1 bird’s eye chili pepper (roughly chopped (optional for heat))
• Salt ( to taste)
• Sliced cucumber and tomatoes
• Pickled carrots/radish
• Fresh cilantro and other herbs like mint
• Vegan Nuoc cham (or Vietnamese sauce/dressing)
• Ginger scallion sauce (homemade recipe here)
• Fried shallots

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- PREPARING THE SEITAN + SAUCE ---
2. 2Dilute the miso paste in warm water/veg broth.
3. 3Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour the broth mixture and mix well until there are no signs of dry flour.
4. 4Transfer the mixture on a flat surface. Knead for 3-4 minutes or until the seitan is bouncy — you can poke it with your finger and it should go back to its original state at once. Cover the seitan.
5. 5Leave the seitan to rest for at least 15 minutes.
6. 6Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Mix everything together in a small bowl and adjust to desired taste.
7. 7Once the seitan has rested, transfer the seitan on a sheet of foil, flatten the seitan or shape it depending on what you like. Wrap the seitan on the foil.
8. 8Steam the seitan for 15-20 mins. After steaming, carefully unwrap the seitan and slice into thin 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick pieces.
9. 9--- CRISPY RICE ---
10. 10Heat an 8-inch non stick pan over medium heat. Spray or add some neutral oil to lightly coat the surface.
11. 11Once hot, add the rice. Using a spatula, press down on the rice to spread across the pan.
12. 12Leave to cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until lightly brown. Carefully flip over and repeat for the other side.
13. 13--- LEMONGRASS SEITAN ---
14. 14Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat.
15. 15Add oil. Once hot, add the minced shallot, garlic, and lemongrass. Stir-fry for 1 minute until aromatic. Pour the sauce and allow to come to a gentle simmer.
16. 16Add the sliced seitan and leave to simmer in the sauce for 5-6 minutes until the sauce is absorbed and turns into a thin glaze consistency.
17. 17--- TIFF'S NUOC CHAM ---
18. 18Mix everything together. Feel free to adjust to your desired taste.
19. 19--- TO SERVE ---
20. 20Place the crispy rice on a plate or large bowl.
21. 21Add the seitan then serve with sliced cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, pickled carrot/radish, the vegan nuoc cham or Vietnamese sauce/dressing. Top with ginger scallion sauce and fried shallots, if desired.
22. 22To enjoy, pour a generous amount of the sauce then break apart a small portion of the rice to enjoy with the other components.