my greatest vegan accomplishment: seitan tikka masala

i did the unthinkable.

i made a VEGAN seitan tikka masala and it was so awesome, i about had a coronary! seriously folks, i wanted to cry.

in pregan days, chicken tikka masala was one of my favorite dishes. it's chicken in a heart-attack inducing tomato cream curry sauce. well, i've been craving indian food, couldn't stop thinking about it, so instead of giving in to temptation--i set out to make it myself. here's what i did.

1) i used lord seitan's seitan recipe. note: when you click on that link, it'll take you to an awesome rollergirl website. click on lord seitan's bio and BLAMO! you have the recipe. lord seitan is a very nice guy who is part of the deep roots animal sanctuary that hosts a monthly vegan potluck at our local anarchist bookstore. he has been vegan for many years and i find him and his significant other-(look at bio of skater Terror d'Bits for the Flatliners) to be vegan inspirations of sorts for me.

i've been stuck on using the one on the back of the wheat gluten box, and have been kind of bored with it. i wanted to try something different. i made half a batch of this and once done threw it in the oven for an extra 20-30 minutes at 350 to get the texture really chewy and meat-like.

2) i searched many recipes until i found one that i liked that i could veganize. the best one was on yahoo! answers of all places! here's the vegan makeover:

seitan marinade-(this is VERY IMPORTANT!)

• 1/2 batch of lord seitan's seitan (0r your fave recipe), enough for 2-4 servings
• 1 6oz. container of plain soy delicious COCONUT yogurt
• 1T fresh lemon juice
• 1t cumin powder
• 2t coriander powder
• 1t paprika
• 1/2 t turmeric
• 1t cayenne pepper
• 1T fresh minced ginger (tip: peel, chop, and press via garlic press)
• 2T minced fresh garlic (through garlic press)
• 2t salt

whisk ingredients in a shallow container. put yer seitan in and evenly coat. stick in fridge to absorb all the yummy goodness while you make your sauce

masala sauce (this is very good alone, btw!)

• 2T earth balance
• 3 cloves of garlic run through a garlic press or grater
• 1 jalapeno pepper, de-seeded and finely diced
• 1 small white onion
• 6 oz of tomato paste PLUS 6 oz water whisked
• 1 c. plain silk creamer
• 2 t cumin powder
• 2 t paprika
• 1 t garam masala powder
• 1/4 c chopped cilantro
• 1 T fresh chopped mint
• 1 t salt to taste
• 1 t black pepper to taste
• 1/2 t cayenne pepper

put some bollywood music in yer cd player to get in the mood. melt butter in saucepan. add your onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper. add the spices and continue to stir. add the tomato paste/water to the mix. add the silk creamer. simmer for a few minutes and let cool. once warm/room temp, put in a blender and add your fresh cilantro and mint. puree until very frothy. this is important. pour back in pan and cook a little more. add the marinated seitan-(make sure to throw all that marinade in there too!) and simmer for a bit. serve over basmati rice. i wasn't feeling ballsy enough to try to make chapatis, so i cheated by buttering and browning kangaroo white flatbread.