When I started the series of Moroccan recipes like Meatballs in Lemon and Olive Sauce, Vegan Kebab With Pistachio, and the spice mixture Ras El Hanut, I thought it could not be complete without a vegan recipe for Moroccan cigars!
And since rice paper is similar to cigar leaves, then why not make it Gluten-Free too?
I rolled up my sleeves, mixed vegan minced meat and mushrooms, added some goodies like pine nuts and pistachios, and of course Ras al-Hanut, the fingerprint of North African cuisine.
I brushed the cigars with “egg” for color and flavor, a mixture that looks and acts like an actual egg, then sprinkled sesame and black cumin on top. Unlike the traditional recipe in which the cigars are deep-fried, I baked them.
I got crispy cigars that were gone in the blink of an eye (you may want to double the amount in advance 🙂
These vegan and gluten-free meat cigars are suitable as an appetizer, part of a buffet, or snack. Serve with tahini, salads, or any dip you desire.
Enjoy and let me know how it turned out ❣️
8-10 cigars
- 8-10 Rice paper sheets 22 cm (8.6 inches) in diameter
Meat Filling
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
- 25 grams Minced plant-based protein (TVP), soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes, drained, and squeezed.
- small onion, chopped
- 100 grams chopped mushrooms Champignon or Portobello
- 1-2 cloves minced garlic
- 1-2 Tbsp pine nuts or pistachios or mixture of both
- salt by taste
- ¼ tsp Ras El Hannut
- ¼ tsp paprika or smoked paprika
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- hot paprika by taste
Egg" coating"
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp liquid sunflower lecithin Optional but recommended – gives the mixture an egg yolk texture
- ¼ tsp Agave syrup
- Salt, black ground pepper, hot paprika by taste
Garnish
- Sesame seeds, black cumin seeds optional
Meat Filling
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok.
- Fry onion until softened and slightly golden; Add minced garlic and fry for a few more seconds.
- Add pine nuts and pistachios, fry for a few more seconds; Add TVP and fry for a few minutes until slightly golden; Add mushrooms and fry for a few more minutes.
- Add spices, fry for a minute; Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Egg" Coating"
- In a small bowl, mix oil, lecithin, agave, salt, sugar, black pepper, and hot paprika; Set aside.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
- Hold a rice paper sheet under running water for a second or two (no more!) And place it on the counter.
- Place two tablespoons of filling at the bottom of the rice paper sheet, leaving 1-2 cm blank at the edges.
- Roll into a cigar.
- Press the edges; if they are longer than 1-2 cm, you can cut out the spare parts.
- Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Brush with the "egg" mixture, and sprinkle with sesame or black cumin (optional).
- Place in the oven, bake for 15 minutes, increase to 200 degrees Celsius, and bake until golden. (5-10 minutes) )
- Serve with salads, tahini, or any dip you desire.
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