With my Vegan Lentil Moussaka, you get all the delicious potatoes and eggplants along with a vegan-friendly Béchamel sauce that even uses a clever ingredient to create that cheesy flavor on the topping and my delicious, packed with flavour, lentil based filling! 

So read along to discover what you’ll need to make the most delicious vegan lentil moussaka, my tips and tricks to help you make it to perfection, my step by step photos, and of course my unique recipe!

What is a traditional Moussaka?

Moussaka is arguably the most famous Greek dish. It is served in every Greek taverna and is the dish of choice for a large family gathering and special occasions.

Moussaka is a delicious eggplant, potato and mince meat casserole topped with a deliciously creamy and cheesy béchamel sauce. The essence of the traditional moussaka is summarised in:

1. Its umami packed filling: The traditional Moussaka sauce is a deep dark red/brown ragu, which is both meaty yet fragrant and is packed with umami flavours. The traditional moussaka uses a combination of beef or lamb to make the sauce together with garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon and red wine.
2. Its creamy béchamel: The traditional Moussaka is topped with a creamy, thick béchamel that is packed with a distinct savoury taste yet is extra fragrant because of the grated cheese and nutmeg!
3. Its deliciously juicy vegetables: Aubergines and potatoes are cooked separately and then added to the moussaka when ready to assemble. The aubergines give it a delicious juiciness and the potatoes that extra starchiness and robustness in its flavour, making it a complete meal!

So keeping the above in mind, how can we make the perfect Vegan moussaka while keeping its “essence” – the umami packed filling, its creamy béchamel and its deliciously juicy vegetables intact?

Making the perfect Vegan Moussaka with Lentils – Key Ingredients

In order for your Vegan moussaka recipe to keep its authenticity, we need to carefully select our meat and dairy substitutes. After plenty of experimentation I’ve narrowed it down to the following key ingredients:

• Lentils: they are the perfect meat substitute. They are nutritious, natural and healthy. Also they are a staple ingredient in the Greek cuisine! In my recipe I’ve opted to use green Lentils but you can also use any variety of whole (not split) brown lentils as well.
• Dried mushrooms: To make the sauce more “meaty” I’ve opted to use a sprinkling of dried mushrooms. They will expand when cooking and will impart their natural umami flavour that makes this vegan moussaka so delicious!
• Herbs and spices: After plenty of experimentation and keeping to the moussaka tradition, I’ve put together a delicious herbs and spices mix that makes this moussaka taste just like the original! You’ll need some garlic, cinnamon, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, red wine, oregano and a bay leaf to season your sauce to perfection
• Vegan friendly béchamel: The classic Bechamel sauce is unfortunately using cows milk and butter so is not vegan or lent friendly. In keeping with the Greek tradition, I’ve opted to prepare my vegan béchamel using olive oil for the roux. To give it that extra creaminess but without sacrificing its flavour, I’ve found that soy milk is an excellent substitute for regular cows milk. To bring in those delicious Greek flavours and aromas, I’ve also infused the béchamel with a brown onion, cinnamon stick, bay leafs, nutmeg and garlic powder.
• Nutritional yeast: This is my one secret ingredient that makes the béchamel taste so special! So what is nutritional yeast? It’s a natural product that is made out of deactivated bakers or brewers yeast. It is highly nutritious, containing plenty of vitamin B and proteins. And best of all? It imparts a deliciously cheesy flavour to the béchamel!
• Potatoes and Aubergines! A Moussaka is not a moussaka without potatoes and generous helping of aubergines. So make sure you grab yourself a bunch and let’s get cooking!

Tip: You can use almond milk in place of soy milk if you prefer. It will give the sauce a nuttier flavor but it won’t brown as much as it would with soy milk. So if you want to use this option, add some breadcrumbs to the top to help brown the dish.

Preparing your Vegan Moussaka with Lentils

To prepare your Vegan Lentil Moussaka you’ll need to follow the following four key steps:

1. Prepare the lentil sauce
2. Prepare the vegetables
3. Prepare the bechamel
4. Assemble and bake!

So get your pans out and let’s get started!

Preparing the Vegan Moussaka Lentil sauce

To prepare your Vegan Moussaka recipe lentil sauce, you’ll firstly need to soak your dried mushrooms in 500ml / 2 cups of boiling water. This will help the mushrooms hydrate!

Then in a large saucepan, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until translucent and just beginning to color. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute until its aroma is coming through.

Once your onions are soft and translucent and the garlic cooked, its time to add the spices. Start by adding the ground cinnamon, the tomato paste and simmer until the tomato paste has caramelised. This releases the delicious umami flavour in the tomato paste!

Next stir in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, balsamic vinegar and the water from the dried mushrooms, keeping a little aside to wash out the tomato tin to get all that delicious tomato juice! Stir in the lentils, oregano, the bay leaf and lastly add the soaked dried mushrooms.

Bring to a boil, then season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour until the lentils are soft, stirring occasionally.

Tip: Keep an eye on your lentil sauce when its cooking. If it looks like its drying out add a little more water and stir.

Preparing your Vegan Bechamel Sauce

To prepare our delicious Vegan Bechamel sauce firstly we will need to infuse the milk. In a medium sized pot add your soy milk, the roughly chopped white onion, the cinnamon stick, the peppercorns and the bay leaf. Cook over medium-high heat until it just comes to a boil then remove and set aside to infuse.

To make the béchamel sauce, you’ll first need to make a roux. In another saucepan, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is warm and has started to simmer, add the flour and whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly so your flour cooks and looses that flour-y taste.

Strain your milk and gradually whisk in the flour mixture. You’ll need to keep whisking so no lumps form. To take some of the labour out, you can use your electric hand mixer with the whisk attachment!

Once all the milk has been absorbed into the flour and the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the spices – the nutmeg, garlic powder and salt. Add the nutritional yeast, whisk and taste. Add some more salt if needed to bring out the cheesy flavour of the yeast.

Your vegan moussaka béchamel sauce is now ready!

Preparing your Vegan Moussaka Vegetables

Start by preparing your potatoes. Slice them thinly and lay them our on a large baking sheet or two, depending on the size of your sheets and spray or brush with olive oil. Season your potatoes with some salt, flip them over and repeat.

Preheat your oven to 220C/430F and place your potato tray in to cook for approximately 30 minutes or until well browned.

Tip: Line your baking sheets with parchment paper – your potatoes won’t stick and you won’t have to flip them over while cooking either! Also, if you don’t have an olive oil spray you can brush olive oil onto the potato and eggplant slices using a pastry brush.

Now its time to prepare your eggplants. Cut them lengthwise into finger-width slices, place them on baking parchment lined baking sheets and season with salt. Spray or brush with some olive oil, flip them over and repeat.

In the preheated oven (220C/430F) bake your eggplants for approximately 20 minutes until tender. As with your potatoes, you won’t need to flip them over half way. However you’ll need to rotate the baking sheets in the oven half way to make sure they brown evenly!

Do you need to fry the potatoes and eggplant?

It is common to fry the potatoes and eggplant before assembling the dish but I roasted them instead for a healthier option. If you do prefer to fry them, cover the base of the pan with olive oil and cook over a high heat until golden on each side. Use some kitchen towel to blot away the oil and continue with the vegan moussaka recipe!

Do you need to salt the eggplant?

With modern eggplant varieties, there’s no need to salt them to remove bitterness. However, if you use heirloom varieties or find your eggplant is unusually bitter, you can salt the slices and leave them in a colander for about 30 minutes.

Rinse off the salt and squeeze out extra moisture before continuing with the recipe. Just skip the salt before roasting them if you do this.

Assembling your Vegan Moussaka with Lentils and baking it

Now that your key ingredients are all ready, its time to assemble the vegan moussaka and bake it. Start by spreading the potatoes in a single layer over the bottom of a deep 32cm x 20cm (12-inch x 8 inch) baking dish.

Then layer half of the eggplant slices, followed by the lentil mixture. Add the rest of the eggplant, spreading them evenly on top. Finally pour over the béchamel and smooth it over with a spoon or a spatula.

Reduce the oven temperature to 180C/350F and bake your moussaka for 30-45 minutes until the top is golden brown.

To serve, remove your vegan moussaka with lentils from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes until it has cooled down a bit. This will help you cut the dish without it falling apart!

Making ahead of time and storing

From my experience, this recipe doesn’t freeze very well as the béchamel, filling and potatoes turn soggy when frozen. If you want to prepare it in advance, prepare all the key steps and assemble the dish. Cover it with some cling film and place in your fridge where it will last for 1-2 days. When you want to serve, preheat the oven and cook for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To store any leftovers, slice them up and place them in airtight containers. You can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To serve, place your slices on a baking sheet and reheat at 100C / 220F for approximately 30 minutes until piping hot throughout.

Serving suggestions

This vegan lentil moussaka recipe is delicious on its own and a complete meal! I do love serving it with some delicious village crusty bread, sourdough bread, some delicious vegan tzatziki and a delicious Greek Salad! If I’m looking to make it into a larger meal I love pairing it with some delicious Greek lemon roast potatoes and some roast vegetables (briam) on the side!

More delicious Greek Vegan recipes

For more Greek vegan and lenten recipes take a look at my hand selected collection below:

• Greek Peas And Potato Stew With Tomatoes
• Country-Style Greek Potato Stew
• Delicious Briam Recipe (Greek Mixed Roasted Vegetables)
• Traditional Greek Green Beans
• Chickpea Fritters Recipe (Revithokeftedes)
• Traditional Greek Kolokithokeftedes (Fried Zucchini/Courgette Balls)
• Tinos Fennel Fritters
• Tomatokeftedes (Fried Santorini Tomato Balls / Tomato Fritters)

And of course my vegan meze platter collection below:

Vegan Meze Platter:

• Vegan tzatziki sauce
• Greek Pita bread
• Greek “village style” rustic bread
• Hummus dip
• Crispy Greek Fried Eggplant
• Crispy Fried Zucchini – Courgette Fritters
• Greek Dolmades (stuffed vine leaves with rice)
• Authentic Greek Fava Recipe (Yellow Split Peas Puree)

Vegan Moussaka with Lentils

(100 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
• Yield: 8
• Category: Main
• Method: baked
• Cuisine: Greek
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

So you love moussaka but you are fasting for lent or you are a vegan? That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favorite dish anymore! This is my delicious vegan moussaka with lentils recipe that I’ve specifically crafted, so it keeps the essence of the traditional one, yet is fully plant based!

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Ingredients

For the Vegan Moussaka Lentils sauce

• 5g dried mushrooms (1/2 tbsp)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion
• salt to taste
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 400g can chopped tomatoes (14 oz)
• 1 glass red wine (approx. 250ml / 1 cup)
• 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 200g dried green lentils (7 oz)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• black pepper to taste
• sugar to taste

For the Vegan Moussaka Béchamel sauce

• 1 brown onion
• 600ml soy milk (2 1/2 cups)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 black peppercorns
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil (1/4 cup)
• 80g flour (2 3/4 oz)
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt to taste

For the Moussaka

• 3 large eggplant
• 3 medium potatoes
• olive oil
• salt

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Instructions

1. Pour 500ml (2 cups) of boiling water over the dried mushrooms and set aside to soak.
2. Infuse the milk for the béchamel. Roughly chop the white onion and add to a small saucepan or milk pan along with the soy milk, cinnamon stick, one of the bay leaves and the peppercorns. Set over a medium high heat and gently bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the chopped red onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until translucent and just starting to colour. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute until aromatic.
4. Stir in the ground cinnamon, followed by the tomato paste. Cook for a further minute or two until the tomato paste has caramelised slightly and turned brick red.
5. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, red wine, balsamic vinegar, and the dried mushroom soaking liquid, using a little soaking liquid or wine to wash out the tomato tin so you don’t leave any juice behind. Stir in the lentils, oregano, the remaining dried bay leaf, and the soaked dried mushrooms, finely chopped.
6. Bring to the boil and season well with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour until the lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
7. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 220C/430F.
8. Slice the potatoes into 0.5cm (half a finger width) slices. Line a large baking sheet (you might need two depending on the size of your sheets) with baking parchment and lay out the potato slices. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Flip the pieces over and repeat. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until well browned – with the baking parchment, there should be no need to flip them to colour both sides.
9. To prepare the eggplant, slice lengthwise into 1cm (one finger width) wide strips. As with the potatoes, transfer to baking parchment lined baking sheets, season on both sides with salt, and spray with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes; there will also be no need to turn the eggplant pieces half way, but you’ll want to rotate the pans in the oven roughly half way to make sure everything browns evenly.
10. Once the vegetables are done, drop the oven temperature to 180C/350F.
11. When the lentils are about 10 minutes from being cooked, start the béchamel. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Once the oil has just started to shimmer, whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly to cook the raw flavour out of the flour.
12. Strain the infused milk and gradually whisk it into the flour mixture, whisking quickly to avoid any lumps. Whisk in the nutritional yeast, nutmeg, and garlic powder, and and season to taste with salt – you’ll probably need more than you think to bring out the ‘cheesy’ flavour of the nutritional yeast. Remove from the heat only when the mixture is thick, but still spreadable.
13. To assemble the moussaka, spread the potatoes in a single layer across the bottom of a deep 32cm x 20cm (12 inch x 8 inch) baking dish. Then, layer half the eggplant slices, followed by the lentil mixture. Add the rest of the eggplant, and smooth the béchamel over the top.
14. Bake the moussaka for 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Keywords: vegan moussaka, vegan moussaka with lentils, moussaka with lentils, vegan lentil moussaka

The post Vegan Moussaka with Lentils appeared first on My Greek Dish.

Over the years I’ve tried many homemade pizza dough recipes but none of them managed to give me that delicious soft crust and thin and crusty base. Most turned out to be either totally flat, tasting like cardboard or raise uncontrollably, becoming more of a bread than a pizza.

So after plenty of experimenting, I’ve put together this ultimate guide for the perfect easy pizza dough recipe with all my secret tips explained in detail. Try it and you will enjoy the best home made pizza ever!

What makes a good homemade pizza dough? Start with the flour!

There are a few tricks that I’ve found to making the perfect pizza dough. The first one is to match the flour strength to the texture you would like your pizza to have.

If you want a pizza that has an extra crispy base and strong texture use strong bread flour. The added protein in the that type of flour will firm up the dough and give your pizza that extra strength. On the other hand, you prefer your pizza to have a slightly softer edge, use plain flour, which has less gluten and will make the dough more tender.

Secondly, the best ingredient to use for pizza dough is the right type flour. What I’ve seen from my trips to Italy is that traditional pizzerias always use finely milled flour.

Their pizza flour, also known as 00-tipo, has a powder like consistency that sits somewhere in between a finely ground semolina and icing sugar. This traditional Italian Pizza flour is both soft in texture and with high protein and gives the dough that distinctive Italian texture. You can get a large bag from your local Italian deli, supermarket or just have it delivered from Amazon.

My personal favourite is a the Caputo 00 Tipo red flour, and with amazon free shipping on a large 25kg bag, I couldn’t be happier!

If you want your dough to be slightly softer, I would strongly recommend the Caputo 00 Tipo Blue flour, which has slightly lower protein content and more elastic gluten.

If you don’t have any at hand, don’t worry. Substitute it with plain bread flour and take it through a sieve to aerate it. It may take a little longer to knead and prove but it will work just fine if you’re in a pinch.

Semolina – the miracle ingredient for the perfect dough recipe!

Finely ground semolina is arguably the biggest secret ingredient when making homemade pizza dough. What is semolina? It is made from durum wheat, the same type of wheat used to make pasta.

Semolina is high in protein and has a much tougher texture than flour, feeling almost gritty to the touch. When you use it in a pizza dough, adds a wonderful chew to the crust as well as extra flavour.

Also I love spreading out semolina to my kitchen counter when stretching the finished dough ball. This gives my homemade pizza dough that little extra crisp on the base and edges that my kids love.

Should you use Olive Oil in your easy pizza dough?

One of the most debated topics for pizza aficionados is whether to use olive oil in the dough or not.

Traditionally in Italy you will almost never find pizza dough with olive oil added to it. But what most hardcore no olive oil fans won’t tell you is that a traditionally made pizza is baked in a wood fired oven at over 370C/700F and that the dough is left to prove overnight.

But unless you have a pizza oven at home you will need olive oil in your dough. That is because your pizza dough will need some help to compensate for the lower cooking temperatures. That is where the olive oil comes into play. Olive oil will prevent your sauce from sagging your pizza dough, making it crispier and easier to bake at the conventional oven temperatures.

How to make pizza dough at home the easy way. Hint: use your bread maker or stand mixer.

The biggest timesaver when making an easy pizza dough is to use a bread maker or a stand mixer. Most bread makers are also excellent pizza dough makers as they have a big enough bowl to hold enough dough for 3-4 people, do all the kneading for you, but also control the proofing time and proofing environment.

All you have to do is throw the recipe ingredients in the bread machine, set it to the pizza dough setting and let it finish its cycle. After about 45 minutes to an hour your dough will be ready to use and you will have literally put no effort in making it. This is literally the easiest pizza dough you can ever make!

A great alternative to a bread maker for an easy pizza dough, is to use a stand mixer. It will do all the stretching and kneading for you taking away the strain from preparing a strong dough. It will also save you time and energy in the process. You only need to keep an eye on it for the dough to proof. In my pizza dough recipe below I’ve given you steps for both a bread maker and a stand mixer.

How to cook pizza in an oven?

The last part to making the perfect pizza dough is cooking it. Unless you have a wood fired oven, there are two tricks to make the perfect pizza at home.

Firstly, turn your oven on its maximum temperature a good 30 minutes in advance of you cooking your pizza. I turn my oven on right before I let my pizza dough prove. This will let your oven soak the heat in and raise its temperature as high as possible.

Secondly invest in a pizza stone or a pizza crisper tray. If you use a pizza stone place it in the oven from the moment you turn it on. This will allow your stone to soak the heat in and assist in your pizza cooking evenly underneath.

If you use a pizza crisper tray then keep it outside the oven and use it to assemble your pizza on. You will recognise the pizza crisper tray from its round shape, metal construction and holes on the underside. These holes are what make all the difference, as they let air and heat circulate underneath your pizza base, cooking it to perfection.

Can pizza dough be frozen?

Pizza dough is very versatile and can be easily frozen. There are three things that you need to do to freeze your pizza dough successfully while saving time when it comes to using it again.

The first one is to let it fully rise before freezing it. Freezing your pizza dough does not kill off the yeast so you could freeze it before it had a chance to rise. But it is a great timesaver to freeze it after it has risen. Remember, it will take time to defrost the dough and the least you want is to wait even longer for the yeast to warm up and start acting again!

The second trick is to divide the dough into portions, flatten them out and use a ziplock bag to store them in. If you leave your pizza dough in a big ball it will take a lot longer to defrost so planning a little bit ahead will save you time when you come to use it.

To defrost your pizza dough just take it out from the freezer and leave it in the zip lock bag on the counter for about 1 to 2 hours till it is fully thawed and starts expanding.

I hope you find as much pleasure in preparing my pizza dough as I have! Let me know in the comments below what you thought of it!

Looking for some topping inspiration? Take a look at my feta cheese pizza recipe! Pizza lover? Then don’t forget to take a look at this delicious boat shaped pizza brought by the Greeks who lived by the Black Sea almost 100 years ago!

Easy Homemade Pizza Dough for Beginners

(752 votes, average: 4.88 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 55 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 75 minutes
• Yield: 2 pizzas
• Category: Mains
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Italian

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Description

A super easy pizza dough recipe that rivals even the best Italian restaurants! After plenty of experimenting I have put together this super simple pizza dough recipe for you to enjoy.

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Ingredients

• 3 tsp yeast
• 330g lukewarm water (10.5 oz)
• 2.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 tsp sugar
• 2.5 tsp table salt
• 450g strong bread flour or 00-tipo pizza flour (14 oz)
• 50g fine semolina (3.5 oz)

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to its maximum temperature or 260C/500F on the fan setting.  Place your pizza stone in the oven, if you have one.
2. In a bowl mix the lukewarm water and the sugar using a fork or a whisk. Add the yeast and stir till its fully dissolved. Let it rest for about 10 minutes or until it just starts to froth.
3. In your bread maker bowl or your stand mixer bowl add the flour, the semolina and the salt. Stir with a fresh spoon till the ingredients are combined.
4. Add the olive oil and the yeast, water and sugar mixture in the mixer bowl or bread maker bowl.
5. If you are using a bread maker, set it to the pizza programme. It should last for 45 minutes and have kneaded the dough twice and prooved it. The pizza dough should be ready to use once the programme is done.
6. If you are using a stand mixer, install your dough hook and turn it on at slow speed till the ingredients combine. Then turn up the speed to about a third and let it knead the dough for 5 minutes. If the dough is too firm add two tablespoons of water. Continue kneading for another 10 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky and have separated from the bowl.
7. Remove the dough from the hook and let it proof in the stand mixer for 15 minutes.
8. Reinstall the hook and knead it for a further 10 minutes on 1/3 speed. Once done remove the dough from the hook, shape it in large ball and cover it with a splash of olive oil. Place it back in the bowl and cover it with cling film. Let the dough proove for another 20 minutes. The dough should have proved by about 1/3 of its size.
9. Remove the dough from the bowl or your bread maker.
10. Shape it into two round balls with the palm of your hands. Sprinkle some semolina on your kitchen counter and push the dough in the centre with your palm. Spread it out using your palm, lifting the dough from the counter and flipping it over every other time. Take care to leave a thicker crust on the outside of your pizza to get that wonderfully raised crust when baking.
11. If you are using a pizza crisper tray place the dough on it and season with your favourite tomato sauce and toppings. If you’re using a pizza stone place the dough on some parchment paper and season with your sauce and toppings. Take the pizza stone out from the oven and put the edge of your pizza on it, gently unrolling the parchment paper underneath till its fully on the stone.
12. Place in the oven and let it cook for approximately 20 minutes or till the edges have browned.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 pizza
• Calories: 448 kcal
• Sugar: 1.5g
• Sodium: 935.6mg
• Fat: 9.6g
• Saturated Fat: 1.4g
• Unsaturated Fat: 7.5g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 77.9g
• Fiber: 3.6g
• Protein: 11.8g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: Italian pizza, pizza dough, homemade pizza dough, easy pizza dough

The post Easy Homemade Pizza Dough for Beginners appeared first on My Greek Dish.

And if you are wondering if it is worth making pita bread at home, the answer for me is very simple! Nothing compares to the smell of some fragrant, warm, golden brown, fresh, homemade pita bread! Trust me, after you make this easy traditional Greek pitta bread recipe, you will never buy the store version again!

So go ahead, read on to discover my tips and tricks to make this Greek flat bread to perfection, my video showing you how to make it, my delicious whole-wheat pita bread variation, my no knead bread machine shortcut, my tips on how to prepare in advance and store them and of course the recipe!

Homemade Pita bread recipe – A traditional Greek delight

Pita bread (from Greek: πίτα) is a Greek flatbread that is a staple of countless Greek dishes. It is a firm favorite to serve with any assortment of meze’s and dips and spreads, like melitzanosalata, fava, feta cheese dip, tzatziki, hummus, vegan tzatziki sauce and many others.

Together with Moussaka and the vegan moussaka with lentils, Greek Pita bread is one of the most well-known Greek dishes! Where from? Look no further than souvlaki, the most popular Greek street food!

Souvlaki is nothing else than a pita bread sandwich, stuffed with a meat of your choice, a deliciously creamy tzatziki sauce, fresh, juicy tomatoes and zingy onion slices.

You’ll most commonly find Greek Pita breads served as a chicken souvlaki, pork souvlaki, beef souvlaki or lamb souvlaki, or even filled with some delicious lamb kofta kebab.

Also of course with the gyros variations, like pork gyros and chicken gyros, which is meat cut off in chunks from a spit. Who can really resist?

Traditional Greek Pita Bread Key Preparation Steps and Tips

Greek pitta bread is a very simple dish to prepare. In a nutshell, Greek pita is a plain, non-enriched dough which is left to proof and then pan fried in a skillet until fluffy and golden brown.

How to prepare your pita bread dough

A traditional Greek pita flat bread dough only needs 4 ingredients to make and the whole process is really simple. So lets get started!

Start by preparing your yeast: Dissolve your yeast in a bowl with the water and sugar and wait for it to froth. There are two reasons for this.

Firstly, and most importantly, it’s a great test to make sure the yeast is fresh and active and will get your pitta flat bread all nice and fluffy. Secondly, its ready to go and full of action when it’s mixed with the flour!

Knead your pita bread dough: Pour in your yeast mixture, flour and salt in a bowl and use your hands or a stand mixer to knead until its soft, elastic and a bit sticky.

If you find your dough being too sticky, before adding any extra flour, let the dough rest for 15-20 minutes and try handling it again. This will let the gluten in your pitta bread dough relax and make it easier to handle.

If your dough is still too sticky to handle, then add a couple of tablespoons of flour and knead for a bit longer.

Let it rest in a warm place: Coat your dough with some oil to prevent it from drying out and then cover your bowl with a kitchen towel and some cling film and let it rest in a warm place. Your dough is ready when it has doubled in size. 

If your home is a bit on the cold side, you can accelerate the proofing by putting your dough in your oven pre-heated to 40C/100F or with the oven light on only. This will kick start your yeast and make it proof faster.

Split into portions and get ready to shape: After your dough is done rising, it’s time to shape your Pita breads. Gently deflate your dough, split into evenly sized portions, and shape them into some nicely tight balls.

I use my kitchen scale to make sure I get 6 evenly sized balls out of my dough! Finally, let it rest for 15 minutes before shaping. This will relax the gluten and make your pita breads easier to spread and hold their shape.

How to shape your Greek pita bread

There are two tips that make all the difference when shaping your pita breads – rolling them out in evenly sized round disks and poking them with your fingers or a fork like a focaccia!

Shaping your pitta bread: Firstly, shape your pita bread in an even 20cm / 8-inch-wide disk. You can use your hands or a rolling pin to shape your pitas.

Using a rolling pin will result in a slightly crunchier pitta as the air is partially knocked out of the dough. On the other hand, using your hands to stretch it like a pizza base will result in more air in the dough and a fluffier pita bread

If the dough springs back, let it rest for a few minutes and try again – its gluten just needs some time to rest.

Poking the all-important holes: What visually distinguishes a Greek pita bread from a traditional flatbread are its dimples! They help create pockets of fluffiness and areas where the pita is crunchier as well as create space for your dips to sit in when served! So, go ahead and poke some dimples by pressing down firmly with your fingers or with the back of a fork!

How to cook your Greek pitta bread

For the fluffier but slower way you’ll be using some steam! If you want an even fluffier pita bread, cut some aluminium foil in a round disk the size of your skillet, spread a generous sprinkle of olive oil on it, so the pita doesn’t stick to it and place your pita on it. 

In your hot pan, add a splash of water and immediately place the aluminum foil with your pita on top of it and cover with your lid. The steam will allow your pita bread to slowly rise and steam cook.

Whole wheat pita bread

If you want a healthier variation, you can make your Greek pita bread with whole wheat flour. Use 50% whole wheat flour and 50% bread flour and follow the same recipe for the rest.

The whole wheat flour will add a nuttier flavour to your pitta while at the same time making it healthier to eat!

No knead Pitta bread using a bread machine

Ever since I bought my bread machine it has been my go-to device for making pitta bread. Not only does it remove the hassle of kneading, but it also lets my pitta dough proof at the right temperature without me needing to monitor it.

To make your no knead pita bread in a bread machine, simply add all the pita bread ingredients in the pan in this order: salt, sugar, flour, yeast, water.

The salt needs to be as far away from the yeast as possible, so it doesn’t stop it from activating. So, add your salt and sugar first and then your flour which acts as a buffer between the two.

After you’ve added your ingredients, set your bread machine to the basic dough cycle, and let it do its thing. Once it’s done, let the pitta dough proof in your bread machine for about 20-30 minutes or until doubled in size. Then proceed to shape and bake as per the recipe!

Making Greek Pita breads ahead of time

No one knows when a bunch of pitas may come in handy! Luckily, you can make your pita breads and store them in the freezer and serve them at a moment’s notice!

Cook the pita breads and let them cool down completely. Place them in ziplock bags squeezing the air out. When you want to serve, sprinkle with some olive oil, salt and dried oregano and heat them up in the oven for about 10-15 minutes straight from frozen. There is no need to thaw them! They will keep in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.

If you have pita breads that you haven’t consumed right away, you can also store them in an airtight bag the fridge. They will keep for around 3 days. To serve, just lightly brush with olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and dried oregano and heat them in the oven for a few minutes.

What to eat pita bread with?

The easiest homemade Pita Bread recipe!

(1,430 votes, average: 4.74 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 min
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 6 pita breads
• Category: Breads
• Method: Fried
• Cuisine: Greek
• Diet: Vegan

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The very best homemade Greek pita bread recipe! And the best part, made with only 4 ingredients. Find out how to bake them to perfection with this super easy recipe.

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Ingredients

• 500–530g (17-18.5 oz.) strong white bread flour or 50% white and 50% whole-wheat flour
• 360g (12.7 oz.) lukewarm (40C/ 104F)
• 3 tsp dry instant yeast
• 1 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp sugar 

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Instructions

1. To prepare this pitta bread recipe add in a mixer’s bowl the yeast, sugar and water and blend to dissolve the yeast. Set aside for 5-10 minutes until yeast froths.
2. Add the flour and salt and mix using the dough hook for 6-8 minutes.  Alternatively you could mix the ingredients by hand. 
3. Depending on the flour used, the dough may need a little bit less or more flour than this pita bread recipe calls for. After mixing for a while the dough for your pita bread should become an elastic ball and a bit sticky.
4. When ready, coat the dough with olive oil, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Let it sit in a warm place, for at least 20 minutes or until it doubles its size. This is an important step for this pita bread recipe. The first proof makes the pita bread fluffy and soft. If it is winter, turn the oven on for a minute or two, until it’s a little warm, switch it off and then let the dough rise in it.
5. Take the dough out of the bowl and gently deflate with your hands. Use just a tiny bit of flour to help you if it is too sticky. Split into 6 evenly sized balls around145g/ 5 oz. each.
6. Let the pita bread balls rest for 15 minutes before shaping. This is the second proof and will allow your dough to relax and become easier to shape.
7. To form the pita bread, you can either use a rolling pin, or stretch it with your hands, about 20cm in diameter. A rolling pin will make a crunchier pita, while hand stretching a softer, fluffier one. If the dough springs back, set it aside for a few minutes to rest and then continue rolling again.
8. For a more traditional look on your pita bread, press the dough firmly with your fingertips forming dimples or use a fork to make some holes on top.
9. For a faster baked pita, heat a non-sticking frying pan to medium heat and add just a little bit of olive oil and wipe off any excess. Bake each pita bread for about 3 minutes on each side, until slightly coloured and still soft. If your pan has a lid, place the lid on while baking them to keep the moisture in.
10. For a fluffier pita use the steam method. Cut a piece of aluminium foil to the size of your pan. Generously sprinkle and spread some olive oil on it. Shape and place your pita on the foil. Pour a large glug of water in your plan over medium low heat – it should start steaming immediately! Place your pita immediately in it and cover with the lid. Let it steam for 12-15 minutes. Take it out, flip it over and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the foil.
11. To give it more colour, when you flip your pita bread, push it lightly with a wooden spoon on the pan.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 pita
• Calories: 308kcal
• Sugar: 0.2g
• Sodium: 4.7mg
• Fat: 0.9g
• Saturated Fat: 0.1g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 64.1g
• Fiber: 2.6g
• Protein: 9.1g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

Keywords: Pita Bread recipe, Easy Homemade Pitta Bread

The post The easiest homemade Pita Bread recipe! appeared first on My Greek Dish.

What is Lamb Kleftiko?

Lamb kleftiko is a rustic, traditional Greek recipe made with slow-cooked lamb that’s first marinated in garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. This traditional recipe was originally cooked in an earth oven, a simple pit in the ground, used to trap heat and smoke.

Lamb kleftiko literally means lamb “stolen.” This name is said to originate from the Klephts who would steal lamb or goats and cook the meat in hidden underground ovens in order to seal the flavors and smells, as well as to avoid being caught.

Key Ingredients

• Boneless Leg of Lamb: I always prefer using a leg of lamb for this Kleftiko recipe. It’s prepared in a slow-cooked, which makes it super tender and juicy. You could either use the leg whole, which will require some extra cooking time, or ask your butcher to cut it into large, bone-in pieces. 
• Vegetables: I used red onions, bell peppers, garlic, and potatoes in this homemade lamb Kleftiko recipe. Not only do they impart great flavor, but they also turn this into a complete meal!
• White Wine: I know that a lot of home chefs prefer to pair red meat with red wine, but a dry white wine works best in this lamb Kleftiko recipe. Don’t use a super sweet wine. Pinot Grigio, Riesling, or Sauvignon Blanc work well.

How To Make It

Nowadays, lamb Kleftiko is baked, sealed, and wrapped in parchment paper (in parcels or pouches) to keep all the juices and flavors inside (see also the preparation photos below).

For this Greek lamb kleftiko recipe, I always prefer using a leg of lamb, which when slow cooked becomes super tender. You could either use the leg whole, which will require some extra cooking time, or ask your butcher to cut it into large, bone-in pieces. Although a lot of lamb kleftiko recipes don’t add the potatoes in the same pouch with the lamb, I strongly recommend doing so for them to soak up all the delicious lamb juices.

Marinating the lamb kleftiko for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, is essential to allow the meat to absorb all the wonderful Mediterranean flavors and aromas.

Tip: The secret step to the perfect lamb kleftiko is to unwrap the parchment paper right before its fully done, turn the heat up and bake a little longer to get the lamb and the potatoes nicely colored and crispy on the outside.

Serving Suggestions

This earthy dish is best paired with a refreshing Greek feta salad, or a Greek Orzo Salad (Orzo feta salad) which cuts into the meaty lamb flavor and will further enrich this traditional dish with the aromas of oregano and feta. You can also serve this homemade lamb kleftiko with any of these side dishes:

• Easy homemade pita bread
• Lemony Greek rice pilaf
• Greek mixed roasted vegetables
• Traditional Greek green beans
• Bean soup

Tips and Variations

• If you are not too keen on lamb, a very popular variation of this lamb kleftiko is pork kleftiko or exohiko. 
• Use sweet potatoes in place of the white potatoes for a healthier spin on this classic Greek dish!
• Spice it up with some crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or sliced jalapeno peppers. 
• Add more veggies! This homemade lamb kleftiko is a great way to clean out your fridge. Zucchini, eggplant, radishes, and carrots would be delicious.

Storage Suggestions

This homemade lamb kleftiko recipe is great for meal-prepping! Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

More Recipes To Try

• Traditional Moussaka
• Lamb Souvlaki Skewers
• Greek Lamb Stew with Orzo
• Honey-Glazed Greek Roast Lamb with Potatoes
• Spicy Minced Lamb Kofta Kebabs (aka Giaourtlou)

So, go ahead and prepare this traditional Greek lamb kleftiko recipe for your friends and family and impress them with this delicious hearty, traditional family dinner.  Enjoy! Oh, and you can always read this delicious recipe in Greek here: Παραδοσιακή συνταγή για Αρνί Κλέφτικο.

Lamb Kleftiko Recipe (Greek Lamb Cooked In Parchment Paper)

(737 votes, average: 4.73 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 120 min
• Cook Time: 150 min
• Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 people
• Category: Main
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Greek

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Description

The very best traditional Greek lamb kleftiko recipe (kleftico)! Juicy, tender, melt-in-the-mouth Greek lamb cooked in parchment paper with fluffy potatoes.

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Ingredients

• 1–1.2 kg/ 35 oz. leg of lamb, boneless (approx. 2kg/ 70 oz. bone in)
• 2 small red onions
• 2–3 bell peppers (green, red, orange)
• 4 cloves of garlic (2 sliced and 2 whole)
• 2 tbsps mustard
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/2 a cup olive oil
• 1/2 a cup dry white wine
• 200g kefalotyri or Graviera or any had yellow cheese, cut into cubes (7 oz.)
• 5 medium sized potatoes
• 1/2 ripe tomato, sliced
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• parchment paper
• kitchen string

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Instructions

1. To prepare this Greek lamb kleftiko recipe, start by washing thoroughly the lamb and cut into portions (approx. 5*6 cm). Place in a large bowl or basin and set aside.
2. Prepare the vegetables for the lamb kleftiko. Cut the onions in half and then in four wedges. Cut the peppers in 2-3 cm chunks and slice 2 cloves of garlic. Add the vegetables in the bowl with the lamb and pour in the olive oil, white wine and lemon juice. Add the mustard, 2 whole cloves of garlic, sprinkle with oregano and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to blend all the ingredients together. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, chill and let marinade for at least 2 hours. It’s best to leave the meat for the lamb kleftiko marinade overnight, to soak up all the wonderful flavours.
3. Once the meat for the lamb kleftiko is marinated, return the lamb at room temperature. In the same bowl add the cheese (cut into 2cm cubes) and blend. Preheat the oven to 180C.
4. To prepare the potatoes for this lamb kleftiko recipe, peel the potatoes and cut in four pieces. (The lamb kleftiko will require about 2 1/2 hours baking, so it’s best to cut the potatoes in large pieces, to keep their shape.)
5. Now it’s time to wrap the lamb kleftiko in parchment paper. Lay 4 long pieces of parchment paper to form a star. Pop the potatoes in the centre of the parchment paper and season with salt and a pinch of oregano. Pour the marinade from the lamb over the potatoes and set the lamb and vegetables on top of the potatoes. Layer with the sliced tomato and enclose the lamb kleftiko into a pouch. To enclose the lamb kleftiko hold the parchment paper from the edges, crosswise and grab with your hand in the middle, just above the stuffing and squeeze. Use the kitchen string to tie tightly the whole thing together, just above the stuffing and lift into a roasting tin.
6. Roast the lamb kleftiko in the oven for about 1 hour 45 minutes until tender. Remove the tin from the oven and increase the temperature to 220C. Unwrap the lamb kleftiko and scrunch the parchment paper under the rim of the tin. Baste the lamb with the juices and return in the oven for a further 20 mins until browned. Remove the pieces of lamb from the pouch and wrap them in some foil to rest. Toss the potatoes and return in the oven for about 20 minutes, until nicely coloured.
7. Return the lamb pieces in the roasting tin and serve the lamb kleftiko as it is. Enjoy!

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 714kcal
• Sugar: 4.8g
• Sodium: 1236.9mg
• Fat: 37.2g
• Saturated Fat: 11.8g
• Unsaturated Fat: 23.1g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 33.4g
• Fiber: 5.5g
• Protein: 57.4g
• Cholesterol: 152mg

Keywords: Lamb kleftiko, Greek lamb dish, kleftico recipe

The post Lamb Kleftiko Recipe (Greek Lamb Cooked In Parchment Paper) appeared first on My Greek Dish.

As you are not restricted to the ingredients used by major food chains for your own homemade hummus you can tinker around with the seasonings, garlic, lemon and tahini to adjust its flavor to your liking. And I can promise you one thing. After you try these homemade hummus recipes, you will never go for the store version again!

In Greece Hummus is commonly served as part of a meze platter together with some tzatziki, vegan tzatziki sauce, talatouri, taramasalata, Skordalia, melitzanosalata (aubergine dip), tirokafteri (spicy feta cheese dip), fava (Yellow Split Peas Puree) and some delicious beef meatballs and lamb meatballs. Of course also by itself, with warm crusted bread or pita bread.

What is the origin of Hummus dip?

The traditional Hummus originates from the Middle East and it is made from cooked then mashed or pureed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and flavored with garlic and spices like cumin or paprika.

A lot of speculation abounds for the origin of the authentic hummus recipe, which in some cases it is claimed to be Greek. Being Greek myself and a hummus addict I would love to claim that too, but the truth is that even though hummus is served in many restaurants in Greece and is reminiscent of Mediterranean dips, I couldn’t be sure about its origin. The fact is, that because hummus has been around for so long, and in so many different variations, the exact origin may be difficult to track.

One very similar dip to hummus that originates from Greece is actually fava dip (click for recipe) from the island of Santorini.

That being said, the one fact that is indisputable is that hummus is delicious and the rest is history. So instead of fighting over the origin of the authentic hummus recipe, lets get started preparing your own homemade hummus with this super easy hummus recipe! And while you are at it, might as well start preparing some warm pita breads (click for recipe)!

Basic 2-step super easy recipe for the perfect homemade hummus

To prepare this easy homemade hummus recipe, all you really have to do is put all the ingredients into a steel blade food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. Don’t forget to have a taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Remember that once the ingredients are in they can’t get out, so it’s best to adjust seasonings at the end.

Tip: If you have an aversion to garlic, start using half the amount this hummus recipe calls for, have a taste and add some more at the end.

Hummus recipe with homemade tahini

To make this homemade hummus recipe you will need the same ingredients as in the basic easy hummus recipe, but this time you will use homemade tahini, which you made from scratch (click for full recipe)! Tahini paste is that it can be stored for several months, so store the rest in an air tight container in the refrigerator and have it ready for next time.

Easy homemade hummus recipe without tahini

Hummus is most commonly prepared using tahini, but if you don’t like tahini or if you don’t have any lying around, then I also included a recipe that doesn’t require tahini. So go ahead, give one of these three delicious homemade hummus recipes a try and be surprised with how easy making your homemade hummus really is!
Print

3 Easy, Delicious Homemade Hummus Recipes

(538 votes, average: 4.92 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Total Time: 10 min
• Yield: 2 1/2
• Category: Dip
• Cuisine: Greek
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Discover how to make your own hummus dip with these three delicious, 10 minute recipes! Commercial hummus dip is available almost everywhere, however as we all know, nothing compares to homemade. That’s why I’ve put together a collection of my top three, super easy hummus recipes for you to prepare this delicious dip to perfection!

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Ingredients

Basic 2-step super easy hummus recipe

• 400g boiled or canned chickpeas (14 oz.)
• 3 tbsps tahini
• juice of 1 large lemon
• 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2– 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsps water
• a pinch of paprika for garnish

Hummus recipe with homemade tahini

• You will need the same ingredients as in the basic easy hummus recipe, but this time you will use 2 more ingredients to make homemade tahini
• 2 1/2 cups sesame seeds
• 1/4 of a cup vegetable oil

Easy homemade hummus recipe without tahini

• 1 can chickpeas
• 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
• 1–2 cloves of garlic
• up to 1/4 of a cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 pinches of ground cumin
• a pinch of paprika for garnish

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Instructions

Basic 2-step super easy hummus recipe

1. When making a homemade hummus recipe, what really makes a difference is the order that you add the ingredients.
2. For this hummus recipe, start by adding the tahini and lemon juice in a food processor or blender and pulse for about 1 minute, until thick and light in colour. Then the chickpeas go in. Process the mixture, until the chickpeas are minced.
3. Lots of hummus recipes require to remove the skins from the chickpeas. Although this is not difficult it will certainly take some more time, but the truth is, having tested both ways, I am not sure that it is worth the trouble. If you have the time try it for yourself by gently pinching the chickpeas until the skin comes off.
4. Add the minced garlic and pour in the olive oil a little bit at a time, whilst pulsing, like making mayonnaise. Blend until the oil is incorporated and the hummus mixture is smooth or coarsely pureed, depending on your preference.
5. Season with salt and cumin and pour in 1-2 tbsps water, if the hummus is too thick. Pulse for 1 more minute. Done!

Hummus recipe with homemade tahini

1. To prepare this homemade hummus recipe with homemade tahini, start by making the tahini paste. You can either use the sesame seeds raw or roasted. Roasting the sesame seeds will make them easier to grind and your tahini will have better texture. But if you have a really good food processor use them raw as tahini made from raw sesame is lower in fat. Place the sesame seeds on a large baking tray and roast them for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and glossy. Sesame seeds can burn very quickly, so make sure to shake them frequently and be careful not to brown them.
2. Place the sesame seeds in a food processor (fitted with a metal blade) and pour in the vegetable oil. Process for about 5 minutes until you have a smooth tahini paste. Don’t forget to pulse for about 1 minute, scrape the seeds from the sides, pulse again and repeat until smooth. Add a little bit more oil if necessary to bring the paste to a thick pouring consistency.
3. Continue preparing the hummus according to the basic recipe instructions.
4. The best part with tahini paste is that it can be stored for several months, so store the rest in an air tight container in the refrigerator and have it ready for next time!

Easy homemade hummus recipe without tahini

1. To prepare this version of homemade hummus recipe without tahini, place the garlic in a food processor and mince.
2. Add the chickpeas and lemon juice and pulse until the chickpeas are minced. Pour in the olive oil a little bit at a time, whilst pulsing, like making mayonnaise. Blend until the oil is incorporated and the hummus mixture is smooth or coarsely pureed, depending on your preference.
3. Season with salt and cumin and pour in the water, whilst mixing. Add the water gradually and check the texture of the hummus. If your hummus is creamy and liquid enough for your taste, don’t use all the water.
4. Check the seasonings and adjust as you like. 

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Keywords: greek hummus dip, authentic greek hummus recipe

The post 3 Easy, Delicious Homemade Hummus Recipes appeared first on My Greek Dish.

What I love about this Greek shrimp saganaki recipe are its delicious ingredients – the shrimps also known as “garides” in Greek are first sautéed in olive oil, deglazed with traditional Greek ouzo drink, then added in a spicy tomato sauce and finished off with fresh herbs and salty feta cheese.. Simply irresistible! 

So go ahead, discover my delicious Greek Shrimp Saganaki recipe, my tips and tricks to help you make it to perfection, how to prepare it in advance and my delicious pairings!

What is Greek shrimp Saganaki with Feta Cheese?

Greek shrimp saganaki is a traditional dish that uses medium or even large shrimp or prawns that are deglazed in Ouzo to give them extra flavour. It is a version of the common cheese saganaki recipe which is a popular Greek appetizer and is usually served in a baking dish with two handles to make it easy to serve.

The name of the dish comes from ‘sagani’ which is a type of frying pan with two handles. The most common traditional Greek recipes cooked in a saganaki pan include the melt in the mouth cheese Saganaki, Feta Saganaki and mussels saganaki.

What you’ll need to make your Shrimp Saganaki

As with most Greek dishes, Shrimp Saganaki is a very simple dish to prepare. Besides the store cupboard basics, there are three ingredients that make all the difference in your Saganaki! Its the tangy feta cheese, the juicy, ripe tomatoes and of course the traditional Greek Ouzo!

• Feta: Feta is the most important ingredient in a traditional Greek Garides Saganaki and gives it its deliciously tangy flavour, one that characterises so many Greek dishes! So make sure you grab yourself some good quality traditional Greek feta cheese and some extra virgin olive oil from your local grocer! 
• Tomatoes: You’ll need some juicy, ripe tomatoes. However, if you’re making your Shrimp saganaki in the winter you may struggle to find tomatoes that are fully ripe. In that case, don’t worry, just opt for some whole tinned San Marzano (plum) tomatoes. Just make sure you strain them before adding them to your prawn saganaki! Finally, if you feel your canned tomatoes are a little too sharp just add a pinch of sugar to offset their acidity.
• Ouzo: Finally, you’ll need some Ouzo! You can quite easily get it in supermarkets or your favorite online drinks retailer and it is a great drink to enjoy with any Greek recipe. But for this one, I use it to add that extra bit of flavour to the prawns. If you can’t find it anywhere, something like Pernod, which is a French anise-flavored liqueur will do a similar job. Finally, if you don’t like the anise flavour, you could use a splash of dry white wine instead!

Greek shrimp saganaki recipe (Garides saganaki) – Tips

Shrimp saganaki is a very straightforward dish to make but there are a couple of things to note when preparing it to make sure it turns out delicious!

Get the right “garides”: To make this traditional Greek shrimp saganaki recipe you’ll need some fresh medium or, even better, large sized shrimp, if you can get your hands on them! Alternatively you can use prawns – they taste a bit less meaty but are equally delicious!

Prepare the shrimps in advance: It is very important to prepare your shrimps properly, before making your Greek Shrimp Saganaki. If you have never prepared shrimp or prawn before, start by peeling the body of the shrimps off, leaving the heads and tails on for extra flavour.

It is also very important to clean the inside of the shrimps and remove the back vein. Start by gently slicing the back of the peeled shrimp with a knife crosswise and remove the dark vein with a toothpick or the tip of your knife. This vein is annoyingly crunchy and may contain sand inside that will ruin your shrimp saganaki.

Cook your shrimp or prawns over gentle heat: When cooking prawns or shrimp, it is very important to sauté them over gentle heat, as their flesh is very sensitive. In order for your Greek Saganaki shrimp to remain juicy and tender be careful not to overcook your shrimps. A minute or two is all it takes for them to cook to perfection!

Can I make it in advance?

As with all Saganaki recipes, they are always made and eaten straight away. However, if you want to save some time you can make the sauce ahead of time. Simply carry out the steps up until the point of sautéing the prawns and stop. 

Once the sauce is cooked, allow it to cool and store in an airtight container for 2-3 days. When you want to prepare your shrimp Saganaki, reheat the sauce and continue with the rest of the recipe.

How to store your Shrimp Saganaki leftovers?

You always need to be a little careful with shrimp. So, if you have any leftovers that you want to store, you’ll need to let them cool down but for no more than 1 hour or you risk the shrimp spoiling.

Then move the leftovers to an airtight shallow container and store them in the fridge.  They will keep for 2-3 days. Simply reheat in a frying pan till piping hot and serve.

What to serve with shrimp saganaki?

What I serve with Greek shrimp depends a lot on whether I plan to have it as a Meze or as a main course!  If I’ve made it as an appetizer, then I love serving it with some delicious crusty Greek bread, some pita breads or even some Greek olive bread!  

If I make it as a main course I love serving it with some plain basmati rice which beautifully soaks up the delicious prawn Saganaki juices! And of course together with a deliciously refreshing Greek Salad as a side!

So go ahead prepare this amazing Greek shrimp saganaki recipe and enjoy!

Greek Shrimp (Prawn) Saganaki recipe with Feta cheese (Garides Saganaki)

(617 votes, average: 4.78 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 5 min
• Cook Time: 15 min
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 portions
• Category: Appetizer
• Method: Fried
• Cuisine: Greek

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Description

A super easy, delicious shrimp (prawn) saganaki recipe for you to recreate this simple and beloved traditional Greek appetizer from scratch in less than 20 minutes!

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Ingredients

• 25 medium prawns
• 4 ripe, juicy tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• some hot chilli pepper, according to preferance
• 2 spring onions, sliced (optional)
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 60ml Greek drink Ouzo (1/4 of a cup)
• 2 tbsps fresh dill or parsley, chopped
• 200–250g feta cheese, crumbled or cubed (8 oz.)
• olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• a pinch of sweet paprika (optional)

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Instructions

1. To prepare this Greek shrimp saganaki recipe start by peeling and cleaning the shrimps.
2. Continue preparing the sauce. To prepare the sauce for this shrimp saganaki recipe, dice the fresh tomatoes in small cubes and let them strain in a colander, so that no excess water is added to the sauce.
3. Begin with the sauce for the shrimp saganaki. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the chopped onion and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the chopped garlic, chilli peppers and season with salt and and pepper. Sauté all the ingredients together for 1 more minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, cover with the lid, bring to the boil and let simmer for approx. 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens a little bit.
4. In the meantime sauté the shrimps for this shrimp saganaki recipe. Season the shrimps with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add 3-4 tbsps olive oil. Add the shrimps, sauté for 1 minute and deglaze with the ouzo.
5. Pour the sauce in the saucepan along with the shrimps and stir. Top the shrimp saganaki with the crumbled or cubed feta cheese, place the lid on and cook for 2 more minutes, until the feta slightly melts.
6. Garnish the shrimp saganaki with chopped parsley or dill and serve while still hot. Enjoy this traditional Greek shrimp saganaki recipe with a cold glass of ouzo!

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 portion
• Calories: 260kcal
• Sugar: 4.8g
• Sodium: 840.5mg
• Fat: 10.3g
• Saturated Fat: 5.5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 7.7g
• Fiber: 1.6g
• Protein: 29.7g
• Cholesterol: 219.7mg

Keywords: Shrimp Saganaki, Greek Prawns recipe, Garides Saganaki

The post Greek Shrimp Saganaki recipe with Feta cheese (Garides Saganaki) appeared first on My Greek Dish.

This is the exact recipe my grandmother used to make Greek Koulourakia every Easter and I’m excited to share it with you to recreate this delicious traditional delight from scratch!

This recipe makes 80 of these delicious festive Greek Easter cookies which are plenty for everyone to try. And the best part? You will have tons of fun with the whole family kneading the koulourakia into braids, boats, little ‘S’s and so forth! Your imagination is the limit!

Koulourakia (Greek Easter cookies) – what leavening agent to use?

Greek koulourakia recipes are characterised by a butter base, shiny egg glaze (which makes them beautifully golden brown) and one of three potential leavening agents to make them fluffy and airy.

Nowadays most koulourakia recipes call for baking powder and baking soda as a leavening agent, but experience has shown me that nothing compares to the traditional koulourakia recipe, which calls for baking ammonia. 

Bakers ammonia (ammonium carbonate) was the primary rising agent used in baking, before baking powder and baking soda was invented. Baking ammonia makes the koulourakia amazingly airy and crunchy and, compared to other rising agents, their crispness will last longer. Also they won’t crack on the outside and they will keep that deliciously smooth texture!

Tip: If you have trouble finding baking ammonia, you could substitute with double acting baking powder (1:1 proportion). You could also replace all purpose flour and ammonia with self rising flour. Also don’t forget to open a window while baking as the ammonia smell can be strong but it will dissipate once the cookies are cooked.

How to shape your Greek Easter cookies?

Shaping the Greek Easter cookies is really easy. Just pinch off a small ball of the dough (approx. 1 inch/3cm in diameter) and roll it into a rope. You can then try to:

1. Twist it into “braids”
2. Fold them in 3 to form little boats
3. Shape into an S
4. Or just let your imagination run wild and form the dough in any shape you like!

Other delicious Greek Easter traditions to explore

As most holidays in Greece revolve around food, Greek Easter is no exception! These are the days when households are preparing delicious meals for the Easter Sunday and are making all these delicious traditional Greek recipes! So go ahead, explore them all below!

• Tsoureki (Greek Easter bread) 
• Easy Tsoureki in a bread machine
• Greek style roast lamb with potatoes
• Kontosouvli (spit roasted bbq pork)
• Magiritsa (Greek Easter soup)
• Dyed Greek Easter eggs
• Lazarakia breads
• Greek olive oil cookies

Finally why not check out my other delicious Greek Easter Recipes here and let me know what you think!

Koulourakia recipe (Greek Easter cookies)

(825 votes, average: 4.54 out of 5)
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• Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos
• Prep Time: 40 min
• Cook Time: 30 min
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 80 pieces
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Greek

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Description

The fluffiest and crunchiest traditional Greek Easter cookies recipe (koulourakia) you have ever made! These sweet little Greek Easter cookies are super quick to bake, so much fun to make and highly addictive to eat! Discover how to bake them to perfection with this traditional Greek recipe.

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Ingredients

• 250g butter (8.8 oz.)
• 1 1/2 cup plain white sugar
• 13g powdered baking ammonia (2.5 tsp, flat). If you have trouble finding baking ammonia, or you don’t like the taste, you could substitute with 2.5tsp double acting baking powder.
• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk (130ml)
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• zest of 1 orange
• 1kg all-purpose (plain) flour (35 oz.)
• 2 egg yolks and 1 tbsp water for glazing the koulourakia

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Instructions

1. To prepare this traditional koulourakia recipe, start by mixing the butter and sugar. In a mixer’s bowl add the sugar and butter (chopped) and mix for about 10-15 minutes, until the butter is creamy and fluffy. (Once starting to prepare this koulourakia recipe, make sure that the butter is at room temperature).
2. In the meantime warm the milk until lukewarm and remove the pot from the heat. Add the ammonia and whisk until fully dissolved. Set aside.
3. In the butter-sugar mixture, add the eggs one at a time, whilst mixing, allowing time for each one to be absorbed, before adding another. Pour in the the vanilla extract, the orange zest and the milk & ammonia blend and mix to combine. Add the flour, a little bit at a time, whilst mixing, until the ingredients are combined and the dough is soft and not too sticky.
4. Cover the dough for the koulourakia with some plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
5. Place the dough for the koulourakia on a clean working surface, take a small piece of dough and form long cords. Shape the koulourakia with your hands, giving them any shape you like.
6. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and place the koulourakia, leaving some distance between them as they will rise a lot when baked. For this koulourakia recipe, you will need approx. 4-5 large baking trays, depending on the size of the cookies you make.
7. In a small bowl add the egg yolks and 1 tbsp water and whisk with a fork. Brush the top of the koulourakia and bake in preheated oven at 200C/400F fan for 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked and golden brown on the outside (or the ammonia would not have been fully used up).
8. Let the koulourakia cool down completely on a cooling rack and store in airtight containers for up to three weeks.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 88kcal
• Sugar: 3.9g
• Sodium: 4.9mg
• Fat: 3g
• Saturated Fat: 1.7g
• Unsaturated Fat: 1.1g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 13.6g
• Fiber: 0.4g
• Protein: 1.7g
• Cholesterol: 19.5mg

Keywords: Koulourakia recipe, Greek Easter cookies, Koulourakia Pasxalina, Greek Easter Biscuits with Ammonia

Recipe image gallery:

Oh and you can always read this delicious recipe in Greek here Αφράτα Πασχαλινά κουλουράκια με αμμωνία.

The post Koulourakia recipe (Greek Easter cookies) appeared first on My Greek Dish.