vendredi, janvier 29, 2010

Fried Gluten (Mock Meat)

Fried Gluten

In the past few years, when I dream of anything taking place in a home, 80% of the time it would take place in the first flat that I've lived in at Block 58, Toa Payoh Lorong 4. Can anyone explain why? It's like I couldn't leave the small flat with its small living room, the tiny kitchen cum eating area, the 2 bedrooms...A few nights ago, I even had Hub with me in that flat. It's weird. Sometimes I do not just see the flat itself, I see the whole building - all lighted up because it's always at night when I see it.

Anyway, I've been thinking that I should maybe eat more vegetarian food if I do not feel like eating too much meat and yet am not fond of the vegetables here. One couldn't find tinned or frozen gluten products here in Modena, so I had to make the fried gluten from scratch.

For those of you who do not know Chinese vegetarian food, we replace meat with protein-rich fried gluten and you'll be amazed at how much it sometimes tastes like meat. It's the chewy texture and the way it absorbs sauces and savours wherever it finds itself in.

The dough before being rinsed

Fried Gluten (for 1 person) :

250g Flour
1 Tsp Salt
Water

Basically just add enough water to the flour and salt to make a dough that you can knead. Kneading forms the gluten so knead well. The salt will encourage a purer protein to be formed as it will cause certain impurities to go away with the starch when the dough is rinsed in water.

The gluten

You leave the kneaded dough to rest for a few hours with cling wrap over the container. Then pour cold water over it in a container and continue to knead with the water running gently from the tap. The starch in the dough has to dissolve in the water to leave the gluten (which doesn't dissolve in water) behind. Keep kneading and rinsing until the water runs almost clear. The gluten dough would have largely diminished in size becoming a lumpy elastic mass.

Gluten, tofu, carrot and beansprout Stir Fry

Pinch bits of the dough and fry them in hot oil. It's ready when it puffs up into a ball. Drain on kitchen towels and set aside for further use. I like using it to make sweet and sour (mock) pork. Or mock Peking Duck. Also braised with mushrooms. Kirti kindly gave me some fresh tofu and beansprouts today - so I'll make a tofu, beansprout, carrot and gluten stir-fry. Very simple, just with garlic, the 4 ingredients and sugar-soy sauce-sesame oil-rice wine seasoning.

5 commentaires:

SIG a dit…

Wow, you amaze me every single time! Is there anything you can't cook??

Beau Lotus 涟 a dit…

You mean there's only so little I know how to cook...still so much to learn!

Anonyme a dit…

I forgot the name of yr blog after we met in s'pore but so glad i finally stumbled onto it. Great blog and great recipes!! this sounds like the zai i used to know in s'pore even tho' i never really ate it. Now I'm gonna go check out yr previous entries and one fine day we could cook together....

Beau Lotus 涟 a dit…

Hi Pat, you so skinny already better eat more meat haha.

If you have the time come join us for CNY eve lunch on Feb 13.

It's open to any S'poreans who would like to turn up.

Anonyme a dit…

thanks for the invite but on the 13th me and family will be on the road frm mountains to milano after 1wk of settimana bianca. Have fun and hope to catch up soon. pat.