Jamaican brown stew seitan
45 min · 45 g protein · 353 cals / serving
The Sunday classic with seitan in place of chicken: chunks browned in a little caramelised sugar, then simmered in a glossy, savory gravy of onion, peppers, carrot and tomato with thyme, allspice, ginger and a whole Scotch bonnet for warmth without the fire. Ready in 45 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb seitan, store-bought, torn in bite-size chunks
- 2 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green pepper bell pepper, sliced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- a 2.5 cm (1-inch) piece ginger, grated
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme, or 4 fresh sprigs
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 Scotch bonnet red chili pepper, left whole, or pierced for more heat
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp reduced sodium ketchup
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- a pinch salt
To serve
- a small handful fresh cilantro, or more green onion
Steps
- Toss the seitan with the soy sauce, paprika and black pepper and leave it while you slice the vegetables.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, sprinkle in the brown sugar and let it melt and darken to a deep amber, about 2 minutes, without stirring. Lift the seitan out of its marinade (keep what is left) and brown it in the caramel for 4–5 minutes, turning, until dark and glossy.
- Add the onion, both peppers, carrot, garlic, ginger and green onion and cook 4 minutes, stirring, until they begin to soften.
- Add the thyme, allspice, the whole chili, the tomatoes, ketchup, broth, salt and any marinade left in the bowl. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partly covered, for 15–20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the carrots are tender and the gravy is thick and glossy.
- Fish out the chili, taste for salt and serve with rice and peas or steamed rice, scattered with cilantro.
Good to know
Will a whole Scotch bonnet make it too hot?
Left whole and taken out at the end, it gives fruity warmth rather than real heat. Pierce it once for more, or chop half of it in if you love chili.
Can I make it gluten-free?
Seitan is wheat gluten, so swap it for two blocks of extra-firm tofu, patted dry and browned the same way, and use tamari in place of the soy sauce. The stew gets lighter in protein and scores about 72 instead of 76.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 82
- Protein
- (50%)
- 11 g
- Fat
- (17%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (33%)
- 7 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 369 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1413 kcal goes into the pot and 1970 g of ingredients comes out as about 1730 g of food: 82 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.