Tandoori Seitan Kabobs with Cucumber Yogurt Salad
Let’s warm things up with some tandoori seitan kabobs, and a little cucumber salad on the side! Soft, spiced, grilled seitan joins lightly charred onions and peppers on a stick. Enjoy it with a flatbread (like naan, pita, or our homemade option), and a side of crunchy, herbed cucumber salad! I honestly wasn’t really sure what to call this dish- the seitan isn’t made in a “chicken” style, but the marinade I made is similar to a tandoori-style kabob. The cucumber salad actually gives me sort of tzatziki vibes. My partner said they sort of reminded him of a meatier falafel. Sometimes there really isn’t a perfect name to describe a dish, but whatever you want to call it, these kabobs and cucumber salad is delicious.
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It may be Spring, but I’m ready for summer!
For about a week there we had temperatures that reached 70F, before they dropped back down to the thirties and forties, and it made me pretty darn over winter. In fact, I think I’m ready to skip the whole slightly warmer, muddy spring and just get started with summer! Warm, long, sunny days, nights that give a little bit of relief from the heat, being outdoors all the time- I could even be down for one of those days where it’s so hot you don’t even have to move and you’re sweating. So I’m getting ready with tandoori seitan kabobs! The perfect outdoor meal for the summer. Add some cool lemonade, or maybe a beer, and life is good!
Looking for more summery recipes? Try one of these!
- Briny Summer Burdock Stalk Tapenade
- 10+ Summer Low-Cook or No-Cook Vegan Meals
- Heirloom Tomato Summer Watermelon Salad
- Summer Squash, Kale, and Pasta Casserole
- Pink Hibiscus No Mayo Pasta Salad
- Eggplant and Heirloom Tomato Cobbler (Vegan)
Making Tandoori Seitan Kabobs
This is one of my favorite types of recipes- an involved one! I know, I know, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I personally really do enjoy recipes that are a bit more hands-on and homemade. So let’s get started! First things first, make your marinade. It’s a vegan yogurt-based marinade- if you’re looking for more information on vegan yogurt, you can get that here. We’re going to use some of the marinade to flavor the seitan dough, more of it as a marinade for the dough, and then what’s leftover will be added to the cucumber salad. The seitan dough is a really simple one- no blender needed, just combine it all in a bowl. Shape the pieces of the dough fairly thin, so they cook all the way through on the grill. Then place them in a container with your marinade, and let it sit and soak up all those flavors for about half an hour.
I made my kabobs in the oven, with wooden skewers, and I really don’t recommend it. Wooden skewers just really aren’t up to the task, they burn up. I actually took these out early to photograph them, just so the skewers would hold up. If you can get a hold of some metal skewers (I’m planning on picking up these beauties), they’ll work much better. Because I don’t have an actual grill, I used a DIY version. Line a baking sheet with alluminum foil, and place a metal rack on top of it. Turn on your broiler, and let it cook on high for 4-5 minutes before flipping. Repeat on the other side. I would love to try this on an actual grill- I imagine the cooking process is similar. Please let me know if you give it a shot!
Tandoori Seitan Kabobs with Cucumber Yogurt Salad
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened, plain vegan yogurt
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. dried turmeric
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. dried cumin
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. dried coriander
- ¼ tsp. dried cloves
- A few cracks of black pepper
- 1 cup vital wheat gluten
- ¼ cup chickpea flour
- 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. white miso paste
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 cucumber, chopped
- ¼ onion, diced
- 5 small red radishes, chopped
- ½ cup chopped purple cabbage
- Handful of fresh herbs, such as dill, mint, parsley, cilantro, or some combination
- ½ cup unsweetened, plain vegan yogurt
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¾ small onion, cut into large chunks
- 6 mini bell peppers, cut into large pieces
- Flatbreads, pitas, or naan
Instructions
- Start by preparing the marinade. Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl, and whisk until combined.
- Next make the seitan dough. Combine the dry ingredients (vital wheat gluten, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder) and whisk. Add the remaining wet ingredients, along with ¼ cup of the marinade, and ¼ cup of water. Combine, until it comes together in a smooth dough. Cover, and set aside for at least 10 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
- Divide the dough into 10 small pieces, and shape them into fairly thin, nugget-like shapes. Place them in a large freezer bag, and add the marinade, and place it in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes. If you’re going to be using wood skewers, place them in water to soak at this point. (Note- especially if you are going to be using the oven to cook your seitan, metal skewers are highly recommended!)
- While the seitan marinates, chop your vegetables. Liberally salt the chopped cucumber for the salad. Let it sit for 10 minutes before rinsing off the salt. Add the remaining vegetables, along with the vegan yogurt, lemon juice, and vinegar.
- Remove the seitan from the marinade. Squeeze the remaining marinade into the cucumber salad, stir it, and place in the refrigerator until serving. Now prepare the skewers- alternate the large chunks of peppers and onions with the marinated seitan on the skewers. Make sure to press the seitan on fairly gently, as it isn’t cooked yet, but feel free to reform it if it breaks.
- To cook these in the oven, turn the broiler on high. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place a metal rack on top. Place the skewers on the rack, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn the skewers over, and cook for another 4-5. I haven’t tried this on a grill (honestly, I don’t own one), but I believe you should be able to cook them similarly.
- Serve the skewers and cucumber salad with flatbreads, and enjoy!
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