Greeks aren’t the only ones who love moussaka. Croatians, Hungarians and other Eastern Europeans make it regularly. This recipe for vegan moussaka is from Mark Reinfeld’s “The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe” (Da Capo Lifelong/Perseus Books Group, 2012).
Reinfeld says, “The mother of all Greek dishes and traditionally made with eggplant and tomatoes, versions of this dish are popular in many countries and regions including Turkey, Hungary, Slavic countries, and the Middle East. The Greek version typically includes minced meat and is made with a béchamel sauce. This is a rich and decadent, close to a 30-minute version of a dish that can take hours to prepare. Served warm as well as hot, it’s wonderful with a side of Horta and a salad such as Cucumber “Feta” Salad or mixed wild greens with Toasted Hazelnut Vinaigrette.”
Compare this recipe to my Croatian potato moussaka recipe which is NOT vegan.
This moussaka recipe can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free bread crumbs.
Here are two more recipes from Reinfeld’s “The 30 Minute Vegan’s Taste of Europe” —Vegan Moussaka Recipe and Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms with Corn and Saffron Recipe.
Here is a larger photo of Mark Reinfeld’s Vegan Moussaka.
INGREDIENTS
Moussaka:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (1 1/4 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (3 cups) (see Note, below)
- 8 ouncestempeh, diced
- 3/4 cup red wine or vegetable stock or water
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted tomatoes, or 1 3/4 cups diced and pressed firm tomatoes with juice
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup gratedvegan cheese
Béchamel Sauce:
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened soy milk
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoonsspelt flour
- 2 tablespoons softenedvegan butter or olive oil
Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Total Time:40 minutes
Yield:6-8 servings Vegan Moussaka
PREPARATION
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the eggplant, tempeh, wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, cinnamon, allspice and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook until the eggplant is just soft, about 18 minutes, stirring frequently. You may need to add a small amount of water to prevent sticking. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel sauce. Place the soy milk and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat until the milk is just about to boil, about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to low. Create a roux by combining the flour and vegan butter in a small bowl and mixing well. Add this to the soy milk and whisk well until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer the eggplant mixture to a well-oiled 8-inch casserole dish. Evenly sprinkle the bread crumbs on top. Pour the béchamel sauce on top of the bread crumbs and top with the grated vegan cheese.
- Bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Congratulate yourself for making moussaka before serving it warm.
- Note: If you like, you can sweat the eggplant before using in this dish. Slice the eggplant into 1/2-inch cutlets, then slice the cutlets into 1/2-inch cubes. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet or casserole dish and sprinkle liberally with salt. Allow to sit for 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing with water and draining well.
- Variations:
- Alternatively, you can slice the eggplant into 1/4-inch strips and grill them. Instead of mixing in the eggplant with the tempeh layer, you can create a layer of eggplant slices on the bottom of the casserole, which is how the dish is traditionally made.
- Replace the tempeh with an equal amount of chopped seitan or crumbled extra-firm or super-firm tofu.
- For a gluten-free version, make sure to use gluten-free bread crumbs.
By Barbara Rolek
Eastern European Food Expert
****Grabbed from: http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/crossculturalmaincourses/r/Vegan-Moussaka-Recipe.htm