Oil-Free Vegan Moussaka
This is my all time favorite savory dish. Especially when it's paired with hummus. AAH!! That's why I'm posting it again. This time with extra steps, a simple twist and without oil (still as delicious).
I learned this recipe from my family. Since we tend to eat healthier than the general population, my family has always been baking the potatoes and eggplants instead of frying them. I grew up used to it being without cream on top, just good hearty tomato sauce and spices. Yum.
Going back to the recipe, I mentioned earlier that there's a twist. Well, since I prefer sweet potatoes, I decided to make it with half sweet potatoes and half regular. Guess what? It turned out fantastic! I'm not sure which version I like more but I think I'm going to go with the sweet potatoes even though it's not traditional.
I know this recipe seems exhausting, but trust me it's not and even if it was, it's 100% worth it.
Oil-free Vegan Moussaka
Ingredients
Moussaka
- 2 medium potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 8 small eggplants (4 medium)
- sea salt
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Tomato Sauce
- 1 medium red onion finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 5 tomatoes chopped
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- pinch of ginger
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- cayenne pepper to taste
- 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar optional
Steps
Tomato Sauce
- Saute the onions until soft on medium heat, add the garlic, and add the spices
- When the garlic is golden, add the tomatoes
- Add the coconut sugar if using and any other spices you'd like such as oregano etc
- Cook for at least 15 minutes keeping in mind that the longer you cook it the better it will taste
- Use an immersion blender to gently blend the sauce while keeping it a bit chunky
- Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for months
Moussaka
- Preheat the oven to 350F ~170C
- Place one oven rack on the bottom shelf and one on the top shelf
- Slice the eggplants thinly (about 1/4-1/2 inch)
- Cover with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes (this will remove the bitterness)
- Meanwhile, slice your potatoes thinly (about 1/2 inch)
- Wash the eggplants to remove the salt
- Line the eggplants on a nonstick baking sheet and add salt and pepper to taste
- Place on the top oven rack
- Line the potatoes on a nonstick baking sheet
- Cover the potatoes with sea salt, pepper, and parsley
- Place on the bottom oven rack
- Bake the potatoes for 20-30 minutes (regular potatoes take longer / depends on the size of your slices)
- Bake the eggplants for 15 minutes turning half way if possible
- Take the vegetable out of the oven when they're fully cooked
- In a glass baking dish, line your potatoes first then top with the eggplant
- Cover with the tomato sauce
- Bake for 15 minutes on 350F (170c) and enjoy with fresh Arabian bread and hummus, tahini, or this Vegan Tzatziki Sauce