Recipe: Perfect Egyptian Moussaka/Messa'aa (Vegan/Vegetarian)

Egyptian Moussaka/Messa'aa (Vegan/Vegetarian). For most, the word Moussaka conjures up images of layers of fried eggplant, juicy minced beef and sometimes even a layer of creamy bechamel sauce baked to perfection. The moussaka that I am sharing with you today (as you have probably guessed by looking. This entry was posted in Fiction, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Main Course, Middle Eastern, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian by Chloe.

This is a easy traditional Egyptian Vegan recipe called Mesa'a'ah, it is the Egyptian take on the Greek dish Moussaka. ☥ Hey! A lighter take on classic Greek fare, this vegetarian Moussaka keeps enough of the traditional flavors to satisfy Greek food fans. This recipe was created by tinkering with the traditional ingredients to make a lighter, lacto-vegetarian moussaka recipe—mashed chickpeas replace the ground meat. You can have Egyptian Moussaka/Messa'aa (Vegan/Vegetarian) using 16 ingredients and 7 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Egyptian Moussaka/Messa'aa (Vegan/Vegetarian)

1. It's 2 of Garlic Cloves Crushed.
2. It's 2 of Tomatoes Sliced.
3. You need 1 Can of Crushed Tomatoes.
4. You need 1 Cup of Passata.
5. It's 1 Can of Chickpeas.
6. It's of Spices.
7. You need 1 tbs of 7 Spices.
8. Prepare 1 tsp of Salt.
9. It's 1 tsp of Pepper.
10. Prepare 1/4 tsp of Hot Chili Powder.
11. You need 1/2 tsp of Ground Cumin.
12. It's of Quite a lot of Olive Oil.
13. It's of Produce.
14. It's 2 of Eggplants Thickly Sliced.
15. Prepare 1/2 of Onion Sliced.
16. You need 1/2 of Onion Chopped.

Updates will be shown in Italics. · Imam Bayildi is a healthy vegan twist on the usual breaded, fried eggplant casserole. The slices are covered in Mediterranean tomato sauce and baked. IMO, this is now my favorite moussaka recipe. I'm used to eating real and whole foods, so the lack of pre-processed mixes and salt didn't compromise the flavor for my liking as some mentioned on the other posts.

Egyptian Moussaka/Messa'aa (Vegan/Vegetarian) instructions

1. Preheat Oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray with foil and brush with oil, lay Eggplant slices and drizzle with oil, salt, pepper and Spices (keep most of Spices for the sauce). Alternatively, you can fry the Eggplant in batches and place on absorbent towel..
2. Bake for 10-15mins on each side.
3. While the Eggplant is baking, prepare the sauce..
4. The Sauce - Heat a table spoon of olive oil in a pot. Add chopped onion (not the sliced) & garlic until soft. Add the chickpeas and Spices and stir for a minute. Add the passata and canned tomatoes, bring to boil and simmer for approx 15-20mins.
5. Once Eggplant is baked, remove from oven and line the bottom of a baking tray with Eggplant slices. Then a layer of the sauce, followed by tomato slices, sliced onion and repeat process..
6. Place back in oven and bake for 40mins or so (you may want to cover the dish in foil for the first 20mins)..
7. I forgot to take a pic after pulling it out of the oven. Just wanted to eat 😂.

Although this Vegetarian Moussaka probably has very little to do with the authentic Greek dish — well, apart from the fact that it's made with layers of sliced eggplants that is — I think that it still deserves to be called Moussaka! The way I see it, it's a super healthy and tasty vegetarian version of an already. When I was in Greece, I remember that Moussaka was very firm, and looked kind of like little pieces of cake. I think I will try blending into a paste about half of the lentil filling with a little egg and flour, and then mix that with the rest of the filling. This Rustic Eggplant Moussaka takes a little bit of time and effort to make- but despite this, I wholeheartedly encourage you to give it a go, at least one time this fall because when it is all said and done, it is worth every drop of energy you put into it.