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

1. Saute the onions until soft on medium heat, add the garlic, and add the spices
2. When the garlic is golden, add the tomatoes 
3. Add the coconut sugar if using and any other spices you'd like such as oregano etc
4. Cook for at least 15 minutes keeping in mind that the longer you cook it the better it will taste
5. Use an immersion blender to gently blend the sauce while keeping it a bit chunky 
6. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for months

Moussaka

1. Preheat the oven to 350F ~170C
2. Place one oven rack on the bottom shelf and one on the top shelf
3. Slice the eggplants thinly (about 1/4-1/2 inch) 
4. Cover with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes (this will remove the bitterness)
5. Meanwhile, slice your potatoes thinly (about 1/2 inch)
6. Wash the eggplants to remove the salt
7. Line the eggplants on a nonstick baking sheet and add salt and pepper to taste
8. Place on the top oven rack
9. Line the potatoes on a nonstick baking sheet
10. Cover the potatoes with sea salt, pepper, and parsley 
11. Place on the bottom oven rack
12. Bake the potatoes for 20-30 minutes (regular potatoes take longer / depends on the size of your slices)
13. Bake the eggplants for 15 minutes turning half way if possible
14. Take the vegetable out of the oven when they're fully cooked
15. In a glass baking dish, line your potatoes first then top with the eggplant 
16. Cover with the tomato sauce
17. Bake for 15 minutes on 350F (170c) and enjoy with fresh Arabian bread and hummus, tahini, or this Vegan Tzatziki Sauce