Vegan Greek Inspired Moussaka
The ultimate comfort food. Yummy vegan mince sauce gets combined with potatoes & a creamy, dreamy cheezy topping.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the 'Mince' Sauce
- 1 Aubergine peeled and very finely chopped
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 red pointy pepper finely chopped
- 2-3 Tbs tomato paste
- 100 grams soy crumbles also known as TVP
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 2-3 drops liquid smoke
- 1 Tbs Vegemite or Marmite (yeast extract)
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the 'Bechamel' cheezy sauce
- 300 g unsalted, raw cashews soaked in water for 45 mins until soft
- 1 pack firm tofu approx 250g
- 3 Tbs nutritional yeast
- 3 Tbs White Miso
For the potato layer
- 4 medium white potatoes thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
For the Mushroom layer
- 250 g mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon thyme
Instructions
For the 'Mince'
- In a large pan gently saute the onion, garlic, red peppers and aubergine.
- Wait until the onion and aubergine is very deliciously soft, then add the tomato paste and stir.
- Add in the re-hydrated soya mince and stir to coat. Now add the tinned tomatoes.
- Add all the other ingredients and stir. Simmer until the soy crumbles are soft and the flavours softly blended together. Around 10 minutes
For the Potatoes
- Slice the potatoes and put in a single layer on an oven proof dish.
- Bake in a moderate oven (200c/Gas Mark 6) for around 15 minutes, until they are soft & slightly golden. Remove from the oven once done and keep aside.
For the mushrooms
- Gently pan fry the mushrooms in the oil. Season with the thyme and salt to taste. Keep aside until ready to use
For the 'Bechamel' Sauce
- Make sure the cashew nuts are completely soaked. They plump up when soaked and shouldn't have a hard core when you break them in half. (NB: if you can find broken cashews, they are often cheaper & soak faster!)
- Add the cashews to a blender with a little of their soaking water and starting on a low speed, blitz until smooth. Gradually increase the speed of the blender once the mix becomes smoother
- Add the tofu and blitz again. You want a heavy creamy texture.
- Add the miso & nutritional yeast & blitz again. Taste and add more of either until the flavour is slightly cheezy and creamy.
To assemble the mousaka.
- In an oven proof casserole, spoon half the 'mince' in a thick layer, then add a layer of potato & one of mushrooms.
- Repeat with the remaining mince, potato and mushrooms.
- Splodge (technical word!) the cashew 'Bechamel' over the top and smooth in a thick layer.
- Add some breadcrumbs to the top if you want a little extra crunch on top. Not authentic, but very yummy!
- Put the dish in a moderate oven- Gas Mark 6/ 200C for around 25minutes, until it is golden on top and heated through.
- Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes. This will make it easier to cut. It's traditional to eat it at room temperature, usually as part of a big mezze feast, but I like it hot, just out of the oven, just as much!