Chow mein noodle stir fry with Seitan

I am quite the fan of mock-meat. I know some people will berate a vegetarian for eating the stuff (if you eat mock-meat, why not just real meat?) - but there is a difference.
 About the only thing in common with real meat that mock-meat has is a chewy texture. It is made from all sorts of different seeds/nuts and it can be flavoured any way you like. And really - the texture is not very like meat at all.

I found some unflvaoured Seitan (wheat gluten) in these weird looking rolls at the asian grocer in West End. Having never cooked with it, I thought I would give it a try.  Using unflavoured seitan will make a quick stir fry take longer to prepare, but you can dictate the taste - it is worth it.

First - prepare the seitan.

1 packet Seitan - sliced
1 litre strong vege stock
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs vegetarian oyster sauce (mushroom sauce)
2 tbs kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 tsp of my killah chilli sauce (or any very hot chilli sauce/paste)
a bowl with 1/2 cup plain flour
4 eggs, beaten.
vegetable oil and sesame oil for very shallow frying

Put 2tbs soy sauce in with the stock in a saucepan, bring to boil and add the seitan. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove seitan with a slotted spoon and put into a seperate container. Reserve 1 cup of stock.
In the seperate container, add the vegetarian oyster sauce, kecap manis, chilli sauce and the rest of the soy sauce. Coat the seitan well. Allow to marinade for 2 hours, frequently mixing to evenly coat the seitan. Heat vegetable and sesame oils in a fry pan. Take batches of seitan and coat evenly in flour, then shallow fry for 3 minutes on each side. Set aside on paper towel. After all seitan is cooked use the leftover oil (which will be deliciously flavoured from the marinade) to cook the eggs - just pour the eggs into the pan, allow to cook on one side then scramble them till cooked. set aside.

Then make the Stir fry.

1 packet fresh chow mein noodles
1 onion, halved then quartered
2 carrots, sliced
1 capsicum, sliced
1/3 sugarloaf cabbage, sliced chunky
100gm button mushrooms, sliced thick
3 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs killah chilli sauce (or any hot chilli sauce/paste)
1 tbs minced ginger
4 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs kecap manis
1 tsp chinese five spice
2 tsp flour mixed into the cup of reserved stock.
2 tbs vegetable oil, 1tbs sesame oil

Heat oil in a wok. Stir fry onions, garlic, chilli and ginger. Add carrot and stir fry for 1 minute. Add soy sauces and 5 spice, and 2 tbs of stock. Stir well.
Add mushrooms and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add capsicum and cabbage and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Put noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water - sit for 2 minutes then drain.Add the seitan to the vegetables, as well as the rest of the stock. Mix well and cook, covered, for 3 minutes.

Add noodles and egg, mix well to combine evenly and coat noodles in sauce. Cook for 2 minutes to heat noodles.
Serve - top with fried onion if you like.