Vegan Moussaka Recipe

This recipe for moussaka vegetarian was the result of weeks of work until we found the perfect way to prepare it. The layers of fried eggplant are perfectly combine with a tasty filling of tomato and lentils, topped with a wonderful sauce of cashew nuts to the roasted garlic.

Contents show

Although you only need 10 ingredients simple, here is a great wealth of flavors.

Ingredients

ROASTED GARLIC (for white sauce)

1 head garlic, half-size
1 teaspoon of olive oil

EGGPLANT

2 eggplant small to medium-sized
6 teaspoons salt (for sweating the eggplant)
30 ml de olive oil (if you don't have oil, skip)

BECHAMEL

120 g de cashews raw, soaked
30 ml de olive oil
3 teaspoons nutritional yeast, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, plus more to taste
180 ml de water
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

FILL

15 ml de olive oil
160 g de onion white or yellow, chopped
2 teeth garlic, minced
1 lata (425 g approximately) of lentils, green or brown, drained and rinsed
1 lata (425 g approximately) of crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of oregano
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg

Instructions

In the first place, put the cashews soak in very hot water for 30 minutes. In the meantime, continue with the following steps.
Roasted garlic: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Cut the top of the heads of garlic and place on a sheet of aluminum foil. Spray the top with oil and cover it to protect it. Then bake directly on the center rack of the oven for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the cloves are soft and lightly browned.
Eggplant: Cut the eggplant vertically into slices of 5 mm then sprinkle the slices on both sides with salt and place in a colander over a bowl or in the sink. Let it sit for 30 minutes to remove the moisture and to reduce the bitterness; after 30 minutes, rinse, and spend between 2 clean towels.
Place them on 2 trays large baking sheet lined with baking paper and úntelas by both sides with olive oil (you can sprinkle or dust with flour on both sides). Bake at 200 degrees C for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.
Bechamel: Drain the cashews are soaked, and put them in a blender small with roasted garlic (cool a little and then press the bottom to the top to take out the teeth), olive oil, yeast, salt, water, and nutmeg. Stir over high heat until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding more salt or nutritional yeast for more flavor cheese. Leave it to one side.
Filling lentils: Una vez caliente, añadir el aceite y la cebolla y saltear hasta que se dore y caramelice ligeramente (unos 5 minutos). Remover de vez en cuando.
Añadir el ajo y saltear, removiendo de vez en cuando, durante otros 3-4 minutos. Si se doran demasiado rápido, reducir el fuego si es necesario.
Añadir las lentejas y los tomates. Salpimentar, añadir orégano y nuez moscada (opcional). Cocer a fuego lento durante 15 minutos (si hace burbujas, reducir el fuego y tapar, pero abrir la tapa para que salga el vapor). Probar y ajustar la sazón según sea necesario, añadiendo más orégano para el sabor de las hierbas, nuez moscada para el sabor a nuez, o sal y pimienta.
Montaje: En una fuente de horno de 8×8, coloque 1/3 de los frascos de berenjena (superponiéndolos ligeramente si es necesario), luego cubra con la mitad de la mezcla de lentejas y extienda uniformemente. Cubra con el 1/3 restante de la berenjena. A continuación, añade el resto de la mezcla de lentejas y cubre con el 1/3 restante de la berenjena. Vierta la mezcla de alubias por encima y extiéndala uniformemente.
Hornear a 200 °C durante 25-30 minutos o hasta que los bordes estén hinchados y la parte superior esté ligeramente seca y dorada.
Enfriar durante 10 minutos antes de servir. Las sobras pueden guardarse en la nevera durante 3-4 días o en el congelador hasta un mes.