Moussaka Burgers with Bechamel Sauce
All the flavours of a greek holiday in one mighty big bite.
This burger was one of my first forays into Vegan food and it was so amazing it certainly was a large part of my realisation that Vegan food was delicious, not too hard and nothing to do with the word ‘deprivation’.
Moussaka Burgers with Bechamel Sauce.
Recipe Type: Kids. Mains.
Cuisine: Greek
Author:
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 eggplants, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup Spring Onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2cup mashed potatoes
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ – 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tablespoon Chickpea flour (Besan)
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- ½ cup Nozzarella cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Bread Rolls
Instructions
- Fry the eggplant cubes until soft and brown in the olive oil. Make sure they are almost mushy as they need to be mashed.
- Place the eggplant in a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the spring onions, tomato paste, mashed potato, parsley, garlic & spices. Add the breadcrumbs to the mixture and mix well. The mixture should be firm and easily form a burger. Place the burger mixture in the fridge to rest for half an hour.
- Whilst the patties are resting, it’s time to make the sauce. Over medium-low heat, heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the flour and whisk until the flour is completely incorporated. Slowly whisk in the milk. Let the sauce cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cheeses and whisk until they are melted. Add the salt and pepper. Let cook until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Use your hand to shape a large patty and shallow fry in a frypan. Cook until golden brown before turning and doing the other side. Press down lightly on the patties with a spatula and cook on medium heat for approx 3-4 minutes each side.
- When both sides gold brown, remove from pan and you are now almost ready to assemble your tasty burger!
- Put the burgers onto toasted buns. Top with the béchamel cheese sauce and the bun top. Add lettuce, onion or any other burger accompaniment if desired. Serve with a Greek Salad and some chunky home-made chips.
This recipe (now slightly adapted) I found on an amazing Vegan blog called ‘theveeword’ do yourself a wonderful favour and look at some of the amazing dishes on there. You will not be disappointed!
