Simple Ways To Make Your Maltese Favourites Vegan
Food is a pretty big deal for us, but most vegans are having a hard time enjoying those traditional Maltese meals.
So to not have to snack on the side salad at literally every family meal, we’ve come up with a couple of ways to change all-time favourites into vegan-friendly dishes.
Ħobż biż-żejt
Most Maltese make ħobż biż–żejt with tuna, so this is an easy one. just remove the tuna and maybe add an extra helping of capers for that savoury, salty kick instead.
Minestra
This is the Maltese student version of a quick, healthy meal. Put on the borma, chuck in some of your favourite superfoods like zucchini, spinach, and butternut-squash and stir in a vegetable stock.
Most minestra recipes include margarine, which has a few traces of dairy products such as whey and lactose. Instead, drizzle some olive oil on this soup and it’ll do the trick.
Soppa tal-Armla
This age-old dish got its name because it is made up of all the ingredients that even a poor widow can afford to buy. The dish includes ġbejniet and chicken stock, which can easily be replaced by a vegetable stock instead. And we’ve found that vegan ricotta cheese is a thing, so experiment with this and add it to your dish.
Kusksu Bil-Ful
The kusku pasta that is produced in Malta is a definite must-try, but this dish includes cheese and eggs. Since some supermarkets sell vegan cheese and vegan egg replacements, making this dish vegan-friendly should be no hassle at all.
Imqarrun il-Forn
This dish is usually made with minced beef, which is a definite no-no for vegans. Add in some lentils or any of your favourite legumes instead, and you’ve got pretty much the same thing. Kind of.
Maltese Sweets
Prinjolata, qagħaq tal-għasel, figolla, għadam tal-mejtin, imqaret, and biskuttini tal-lewz. These delicious sweets each include butter, margarine and egg whites, so not such a temptation for vegans.
When baking, use olive or coconut oil as a substitute for butter or margarine. To replace the eggs, all you’ve got to do is mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit for 10 minutes. And that’s the equivalent of a single egg.
Kwareżimal
Vegans rejoice; you won’t be missing out this Easter. The vegan version of this dessert is hassle-free as all you’ve got to do is replace the honey with agave.
We don’t think that your nanna is going to have any objections to putting aside a special batch of vegan kwareżimal for you to enjoy with the rest of the family.
Tag a vegan friend who’s weak for Maltese cuisine.
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