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Vegan eel unagi

Watch the video to see detailed instructions

Vegan fish recipe

Unagi eel seitan ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup VWG (vital wheat gluten)
  • 3-5 tbsp pea protein or chickpea flour
  • 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp lemon salt or citric acid
  • 1/2 tsp sushi vinegar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 90ml water
  • 3 seaweed sheets (nori)
  • rice paper for wrapping
Unagi sauce:
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sushi vinegar
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame seed oil
  • sake (optional)
Cooking Instructions:
  1. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: vital wheat gluten, pea protein (or chickpea flour), salt, lemon salt (citric acid), and garlic powder. 
  2. Mix well.Add sushi vinegar and soy sauce to the dry ingredients. 
  3. Incorporate them well with your hands until they form flakes.
  4. Slowly add water to bring the seitan dough together.
  5. Roll the dough into small snakes.
  6. Grind a nori sheet in a grinder to create flakes resembling fish scales.
  7. Sprinkle the nori flakes over the seitan snakes, covering all sides and pressing the seaweed into the dough.
  8. Optionally, mix the seaweed flakes inside the dough for a consistent fish taste throughout.
  9. Fry the seitan snakes in oil until they become brown and all sides are fried.
  10. Prepare a mixture of soy sauce and water to cover about half of the snakes. Place another nori sheet on top.
  11. Simmer the seitan eels in the mixture for 15 minutes, flipping them occasionally.
  12. In the meantime, cook sticky rice and prepare the unagi sauce (soy sauce, Japanese vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil). 
  13. Simmer the sauce until it thickens, then let it cool down.
  14. Remove the seitan eels from the simmering water and immediately cut them open. 
  15. Score them with a sharp knife.
  16. Let the eels rest for about 10 minutes and place the nori sheets used in simmering on top for extra flavor.
  17. When ready to eat, dip a sheet of rice paper in water, followed by a sheet of seaweed. Wrap the eels tightly in the rice paper.
  18. Fry the wrapped eels in a little oil for a few minutes, allowing the rice paper to shrink and create a tight, textured skin.
  19. Serve the eels by either using the meat to make maki or nigiri sushi or serving them over rice.
  20. Brush the rice with the unagi sauce, open up the seitan eel, and brush it with more sauce.
  21. Garnish with sesame seeds, spring onions, and avocado.
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