Vegan moussaka with creamy béchamel sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g cashew nuts
• 300 ml water
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• 1 tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 3 eggplant(s)
• 6 potatoes
• 1 onion(s), red
• 4 garlic cloves
• 400 g smoked tofu
• 120 ml red wine
• 800 g tomatoes, chopped
• some salt
• some olive oil
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp chili flakes
• ¼ tsp clove powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp raw cane sugar
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp thyme

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 35 minutes

a Greek classic

For the béchamel sauce, pour boiling water over the cashews and soak for at least 30 minutes. Just before adding the sauce to the casserole, drain the cashews, add them to a blender with 300 ml of fresh water and the remaining sauce ingredients, and puree until creamy. Cut the eggplants lengthwise into 1.5 cm thick slices and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 10 minutes. Then pat off the salt and any excess water with a kitchen towel. Brush the tops of the eggplant slices with olive oil and bake at 225 °C (top/bottom heat) for about 25 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Remove the eggplant slices from the oven and let cool. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into 0.5 cm thick slices. Pre-cook the potato slices in salted water for 10 minutes, then drain. For the tomato and mince filling, finely dice the onion and garlic cloves. Set aside the spices, salt, and sugar in a small bowl. Pat the smoked tofu dry and process it into mince in a blender or food processor. Heat a little oil in a large pan and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté briefly. Add the soy mince and fry until it begins to crisp up slightly. Then stir in the spices and continue frying for another 1 minute. Stir in the wine and tomatoes and simmer with the lid uncovered until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Stir regularly to prevent burning. Finally, season again with salt and remove the bay leaf. Before layering, mix the 3 tablespoons of olive oil with salt, pepper, oregano, and thyme. Brush the bottom of the baking dish with some of the just-mixed oil and add a layer of potato slices. Brush these with the oil as well. Arrange the remaining potato slices on top and brush with oil. Then place a layer of eggplant slices on top of the potatoes. Top the eggplant with the tomato and mince filling, followed by another layer of eggplant. Press everything down firmly to ensure the casserole is nice and compact, while still allowing the sauce to fit over it. Finally, spread the béchamel sauce over the moussaka and bake in the oven at 160°C (top/bottom heat) for about 40 minutes. Serve the moussaka warm. Note: The quantity of ingredients specified here fits exactly into a rectangular casserole dish.