The Authentic Turkish Vegan Guvek (Trk: Güveç) is a hearty casserole prepared with seasonal vegetables and fragrant spices, slow-cooked in a traditional clay pot that imparts beautiful earthy aromas. This casserole is low in calories, nutritious, gluten-free and vegan! It makes a whole meal, you just need fresh crusty bread with it! It’s an easy and nourishing meal that anyone can enjoy.

HISTORY OF THE AUTHENTIC BALKAN GUVEC.

Güveç is the Turkish word for a traditional casserole clay pot used in the Balkans and a name for the variety of dishes cooked in these pots. In the Balkans, the trend of using casserole clay pots like these started with the Ottomans. This method of cooking became popular amongst all Balkan nations, and the stews and casseroles made in them became classic Balkan dishes.

The word guvec is used in most Balkan countries, although with slight phonetical differences. In Bulgaria, the dish is called gyuvech. In Romania, it’s ghivetci and in Greece- giouvetsi or youvetsi.

Güveç clay pots come in various sizes, from one-person serving to extra large.

In the past, these guvec casseroles were cooked in fire pits in the ground.

I remember my granny telling me stories about how her mom cooked guvec when she was a child. They did not have pressure cookers then and sealed the clay pot with dough to create a similar effect of cooking. The guvec was slow-cooked for hours in a pit in the ground, covered with live ashes.

By the later centuries of Ottoman rule in the Balkans, specialised public ovens started to operate. The locals were using these shops for cooking large roasts or extra-large guvec dishes that they prepared at home. Some of these shops offered collection and delivery services. They were performed by young men, who were collecting the large heavy vessels from the customers’ homes and, supporting them on their heads, carried them to the public oven.

There was a public oven near my granny’s house. She used to have a lamb roasted there every Easter and it was the most delicious meat I have ever had.

Although public ovens still exist in the Balkans, there aren’t that many left. They lost their popularity over the last twenty or so years. Nowadays, families are smaller and most restaurants cater for special occasions.

VARIATIONS OF THE TURKISH CLAY POT GUVEC.

You can cook anything in a Güveç clay pot – vegetables, pasta, all types of meat, poultry and fish. That is why there are so many guvec recipes in the Balkans.

Meat lovers can visit my post and view a recipe for Delicious Turkish Lamb Güvec, a wonderful casserole with mouth-watering juicy lamb cooked with late summer vegetables in a traditional clay pot.

Guvec recipes on my blog:

• Turkish Lamb Guvec
• Easy Claypot Jumble – Guvece

HOW TO PREPARE AUTHENTIC TURKISH VEGAN GUVEC

📋 INGREDIENTS IN THE TURKISH VEGAN GUVEC

Although this vegan guvec is a simple dish, it’s full of flavour and can be prepared with a variety of vegetables.

Vegetables: Traditionally, this casserole is made with potatoes, onions, carrots, eggplants (aubergines), zucchini (courgettes), corn, green peas, okra, green or runner beans, peppers and tomatoes.

Spices: Using fragrant spices in this dish is essential for the flavours. Bay leaf, cumin, sweet paprika, savoury and spearmint are authentic Balkan spices common in guvec dishes.

Oil: I recommend that you use a good quality Extra virgin olive oil to add to the flavours.

Water: The idea behind cooking in a clay pot is that the meat and the vegetables must cook in their own juices, therefore, no water or very little water is added. When you add water, you dilute the sauce and the flavours.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

I highly recommend cooking this dish in a clay pot for the beautiful earthy flavours these pots impart to the dish. All guvec pots come with a lid to keep the flavours locked. The lid also prevents the juices in the dish from evaporating. If you do not have a clay pot with a lid, you can use a cast-iron casserole dish or any heavy-based pot with a lid, like Le Creuset.

Preheat a standard oven to 180°C /356°F. Reduce the temperature accordingly for a fan-assisted oven.

Step 1: Prepare the vegetables for the guvec

Peel the onion, garlic and potatoes. Place the potatoes in a bowl of water and let them soak for 10-15 minutes to get rid of excess starch. Remove the stalks and seeds from the peppers. You do not have to peel the zucchini (courgettes) and the eggplant (aubergine), just remove both ends.

Wash all the vegetables well and chop them into large cubes. You can leave the okras whole if they are small.

To remove the bitterness from the eggplant (aubergine) and the courgettes, placed them in a single layer on a large plate or tray and sprinkle salt over them. Cover with clingfilm wrap and leave them on your kitchen counter for at least 15 minutes to sweat. Then, transfer them to a colander and rinse them under the tap.

Pat the eggplant and zucchini pieces dry with paper towels.

Step 2: Layer the vegetables in the Guvec pot

Pour half of the oil into the bottom of the clay pot. Place the clay pot in the hot oven and heat the oil.

Add the diced onion, the cumin seeds and the bay leaf, and sauté in the oven for a few minutes.

Arrange the cubed potatoes in the bottom of the pot. Mix the rest of the vegetables and place them over the potatoes.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and the rest of the dry spices over the vegetables.

Pour the leftover oil on top. If you like the stew saucy, add half a cup of water or zero salt vegetable stock. If salt-free stock is not available, omit the salt in the recipe.

Step 3: Cook the casserole in the oven

Place the clay pot in the middle of the preheated oven. When the liquid inside the pot starts bubbling, reduce the temperature to 150°C/302°F and cook for 1.5 hours. Do not open the lid or stir the dish during the cooking.

🍲 HOW TO SERVE Turkish VEGAN guvec

Once cooked, take the guvec out of the oven and leave it to rest covered for 30 minutes. Taste the casserole and add extra salt and pepper, if needed. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley on top.

The vegan guvec is filling and makes a great main course dish that anyone can enjoy.

As non-vegan option, you can serve it with roasted or grilled meats, or garnish it with yoghurt.

Bon Appétit! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳

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featured AUTHENTIC vegan and vegetarian RECIPES FROM BALKAN CUISINES

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