Greek briam is a simple dish of Mediterranean oven-roasted vegetables. Thinly-sliced colorful vegetables and a spiral pattern give this casserole a unique look. We’ll show you how to prepare this specialty yourself with our favorite briam recipe.
Tomatoes, zucchini, and eggplant are a classic Mediterranean vegetable trio, which when combined with potatoes, make up the base for most classic briam recipes. What makes this simple dish special is the way it is served: a spiral pattern of sliced vegetables creates a casserole that looks nearly too good to eat.
Briam is a Greek dish, originating from the island of Crete. However, many other countries have similar versions of this vegetable dish: France has ratatouille, Turkey has türlü, Spain has pisto, and Malta has kapuna.
Briam looks more complicated to prepare than it is. Despite its impressive appearance, this dish can be easily prepared at home. Check out our simple briam recipe to find out how.
Greek Briam Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 eggplant
- 5 medium potatoes
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 large red onion
- 3 clove(s) of garlic
- 1¼ cups tomato sauce
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp oregano
Instructions
The key to this Greek briam recipe is slicing the vegetables thinly and evenly. Here’s what to do:
- Wash the zucchini, eggplant, potatoes, and tomatoes and pat dry.
- Cut off the ends of the zucchini and eggplant. Remove the green stalks from the tomatoes, and peel the potatoes — if using organic potatoes, you don’t need to peel them.
- Peel the onion and garlic cloves.
- Cut the eggplant into thin slices and sprinkle with a little salt. Let the salt work for about 20 minutes to draw the excess water out.
- In the meantime, dice the tomatoes and slice the eggplant, zucchini, onion, and potatoes. Slice the potatoes a bit thinner than the other vegetables so that they soften and cook alongside the other vegetables.
- Dab off the water that has collected on the eggplant slices with a kitchen towel, then grease a baking dish with a little olive oil.
- Add the garlic to the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper. Then pour the tomato sauce into the baking dish and spread it evenly over the bottom.
- Layer the vegetables into the prepared baking dish, alternating between the zucchini, eggplant, onion, and potatoes.
- Season the vegetables with salt and pepper, drizzle generously with olive oil, sprinkle with oregano, and top with the diced tomatoes.
- Bake the briam at 350˚F for approximately 50 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and sauce is bubbling.
- Optional: crumble feta or vegan feta on top to serve.
Vegetable Buying Tips
When shopping for ingredients for this briam recipe, remember to purchase regional and seasonal vegetables whenever possible. This will support local suppliers and help avoid the pollution that comes with long transport routes. Mediterranean vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes are in season during the height of summer, making this a perfect summertime dish.
Vegetables from organic cultivation are always best because organic farms are subject to stricter requirements than conventional products. By choosing organic vegetables, you can support the environment while also protecting your health.
This article has been translated from German by Karen Stankiewicz. You can find the original here: Briam: Rezept für das griechische Ofengemüse
Important Information regarding Health-related Topics.
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