Step 1

Soak TVP in hot veggie broth for 30 minutes. If they softened, drain the water and squeeze any additional moisture out with your hands. Now, they are ready to be used as "raw ground beef".

Step 2

Wash and slice eggplant into 1-inch (1-1,5 cm) thick. Salt them and let them sit at least for 20 minutes. (You can do overnight and don't worry if you turn brown. The slices will be brown after roasting and baking.)

Step 3

We recommend roasting them in a baking tray with a grill rack*. Preheat the oven to 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and roast them for 15 minutes. When they are ready, leave them to cool on the rack.

Step 4

Peel and chop the onion and cook it lightly in olive oil until it turns glossy. Add peeled and chopped garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Step 5

Add the pre-soaked and squeezed TVP and stir it a couple of times.

Step 6

Finally, add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and seasoning (parsley, salt, and pepper) and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 7

Heat frying pan on medium/low heat, and melt vegan butter.

Step 8

Take the heat to low and add rice flour. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until the "batter" is boiling up.

Step 9

In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup of milk and corn starch. Add it to the pan and stir until combined.

Step 10

Add the next 1/2 cup of milk and stir until combined. You need to go in small batches to make sure you get a smooth sauce. Go until you run out of milk. (Troubleshooting tips in the Notes section below.)

Step 11

When the sauce has thickened, add salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Stir to combine.

Step 12

To ensure that the eggplant slices do not stick to the bottom, we grease the bottom of our 9 x 7 x 3 inch (23 x 18 x 8 cm) oven-safe glass dish with vegan butter.

Step 13

The first layer is roasted eggplant slices (not overlapping). Then cover it with whole tomato ragu. Then add the remaining roasted eggplant slices. Top it with vegan white sauce generously. Optionally, add grated vegan cheese.

Step 14

Preheat the oven to 390 Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and bake it for 15 minutes.