Egyptian vegan mesaqa'a - Egyptian eggplant moussaka
This Egyptian mesaqa'a is a super savory dish of roasted eggplants and peppers smothered in a warmly spiced tomato sauce with a kick of heat, and baked until the flavors meld and intensify. Easily customizable, and great served warm or cold, this eggplant dish is a hearty and delicious Egyptian staple.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2- 3 lbs eggplant globe or italian
- 2 cubanelle or green bell peppers
- olive oil as needed
- 1/2 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 small red or green chili pepper, eg thai or serrano, finely minced or to taste, optional.
- 1 tsp granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 2 tsp diamond kosher salt or 1 tsp table salt
- 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 15 oz tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
Roasting the veggies
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Farenheit.
- Slice eggplants and peppers into 2 cm rounds (about 3/4 an inch thickness).
- Place eggplants and peppers on parchment lined baking sheet, and lightly coat with olive oil.
- Roast until eggplants are deeply caramelized and a bit charred- about 45 minutes, turning halfway. Roast peppers until charred and soft, about 30 minutes.
Making the sauce
- While the veggies are roasting, start on your tomato sauce. Heat 2 TBS olive oil over medium-high heat on the stove.
- Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and chili peppers and cook until fragrant, stirring, for about 3 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, water, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook, covered, for at least 20 minutes, or longer, while veggies continue cooking.
- Taste sauce and adjust salt and other seasonings as needed. It should be assertively tangy and spiced.
Assemble and bake
- In a baking dish that will hold the eggplant snuggly, arrange the eggplant slices, overlapping. Tuck the pepper slices between the eggplant.
- Spoon tomato sauce over the eggplant, and get the sauce between all the layers.
- Bake uncovered until tomato sauce has darkened and there are some charred marks on exposed eggplant, approximately 30 minutes.
Notes
Some people choose to fry their veggies instead of roasting them. Frying the veggies will be quicker, but more hands-on than roasting, and may yield an oilier result.
Variations on this dish can include adding thinly sliced potatoes, or about a cup of cooked or canned chickpeas to add protein.
For a hearty, meaty version, begin by searing 1lb of ground beef until browned in your pot before adding your other sauce ingredients.
Versions with meat or potatoes are best served hot.