I’ve had this idea floating around in my head for a while, and this article was the perfect time to try it. Seitan is a chewy and dense meat substitute, made of vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is a concentrated powder of the protein gluten without any starch. Once added to some water, kneaded, and then steamed, it makes a chewy, high-protein meat substitute. You could also make seitan with bread flour, as it has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, but it takes a couple of hours and it is more work. I just got a pack of seitan from Stop & Shop. As it turns out, the seitan I bought was pre-seasoned and it turned out to be far too salty. So, don’t make my mistake. To replicate the traditional creamy garlic sauce that goes along with döner, usually a mix of yogurt, minced garlic, and mayo, I used a plant-based coconut yogurt, garlic, and silken tofu. The egg yolks in a mayo help the emulsion, and the proteins in the tofu do basically the same thing. I was feeling lazy, so I used garlic powder instead of garlic cloves. I do not recommend using garlic powder, but if you want to, I used about 2 tablespoons. Also, I used silken tofu because I wanted it to be smoother, but you could use firm tofu.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb seitan
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup silken tofu
• 1 cup vegetable oil or another neutral oil
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 bunch of cilantro or parsley
• 4 cloves of garlic (adjust to taste)
• ¼ cup plant-based yogurt (I used coconut yogurt)
• Pita, hot sauce, and cucumber to serve

Directions:

Take the seitan and cut it into very fine strips. Then toss into a hot, oiled pan and add in the spices. Once it gets crispy and the spices become fragrant, remove from heat. For the tofu aioli, place the tofu, oil, herbs, vinegar, garlic, and salt in a tall container. Then use an immersion blender until thickened and combined. Taste, and add more salt or garlic if you like. For a thicker texture, blend longer. Then mix with yogurt, until it is acidic enough. Serve with pita, a cucumber with some lemon, feta, and a hot sauce of your choice.