Is there a more stereotypical greek food than the infamous ‘Greek moussaka’?

Ok, yes there is some competition from stuffed tomatoes and peppers, but judging from all my Uk friends requests Moussaka is easily on the top.

This is my mums traditional greek moussaka recipe, but replaced the mince with chopped mushrooms for a meatless veggie version. If you would like to make this recipe more vegan friendly you could skip the egg yolk and replace the cheese in the béchamel with nutritional yeast. Ok I wont claim its easy and fast to make, it does require some prep but if you make a big dish you can keep eating it for lunch for 3-4 days so it might save you some time from meal prepping the next days.. local insider tip: moussaka is more tasty when eaten cold the day after! Its one of the finest examples of mediterranean cooking packing 8 veggies inside and ample extra virgin olive oil, so its not only very tasty but also very nutritious!

Ingredients (for a big dish for 4 people)

• 3 eggplants (around 400grs), cut into long thin chunks
• 1 big sweet potato, cut into long thin chunks
• 2 medium sized potatoes, cut into long thin chunks
• 4 courgettes (around 300grs)
• 5 tbs bread crumbs
• Extra virgin olive oil and salt& pepper to taste
• Ελαιόλαδο και αλατοπίπερο

For the minced mushrooms layer:

• 400grs white button mushrooms (royal agaricus), thinly chopped
• 1 big onion, chopped
• 1 garlic bulb, chopped
• 1 fist sized bunch of parsley, chopped
• 2 overripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tbs tomato paste

For the béchamel layer:

• 3 cups extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tbs corn flower powder

• 4 cups plant based milk (I used coconut milk)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder, salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup grated soft cheese or nutritional yeast
• 5 tbs bread crumbs

Preparation:

1. Start by pre- baking all the veggies in order to save some baking time later on. After cutting all the vegetables in long thin chunks, we layer them on a lined tray (I used two as a matter of fact). Bake at 180c for 30-40mins until cooked and golden.
2. Make the minced mushroom layer: thinly chop the mushrooms, garlic, onion and parsley (you can use a chopper too) and sauté the mushrooms, garlic and onion for a couple of minutes in a pan  until translucent and their liquids have evaporated. Add the parsley, tomatoes and tomato paste and stir until the liquids have evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Make the béchamel layer: sauté the olive oil in medium temperature and gradually add the corn flour by stirring well with a whisk in order to avoid clumping. When it starts thickening add the salt, pepper and cinnamon and the milk by continuing stirring meticulously (thin with more milk if the sauce is too thick. Finishing by Adding the egg yolk and cheese/ nutritional yeast and stir thoroughly.
4. To assemble: Oil a tray and start layering the veggies (start by layering the aubergines then the potatoes/ sweet potatoes followed by the courgettes). Its ok if they overlap as long as there are no empty spaces. Then layer with the mushroom mixture, sprinkle with 2tbs of bread crumbs and finish with the béchamel layer on top of the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake at 180C for another 30mins until the béchamel forms a cast and starts getting golden.