This Musakhan recipe honors the rich heritage and flavors of Palestinian cuisine with a plant-based twist!
What are Musakhan rolls?
To truly appreciate the vegan twist on Musakhan, it’s important to understand first what Musakhan is.
Musakhan in Arabic language means “heated“, it is the national dish of Palestine, deeply rooted in Palestine’s rich history and culture, made with roasted chicken, caramelized onions, sumac, and freshly baked bread.
It originated during the harvest season in Palestine, palestinian farmers used to enjoy this simple and quick-to-prepare meal during their break from harvesting their olive trees, to make their remarkable olive oil.
Musakhan rolls are a modern twist on the traditional Musakhan, where instead of serving it in layers of bread, chicken, and caramelized onion, they are rolled using thin bread such as wraps to make rolls, making it a great option as an appetizer or finger food.
With the vegan twist on Musakhan, we take all these traditional elements and recreate them in a delicious plant-based version. By replacing the chicken with king oyster mushrooms, and cooking it properly, you will NOT know it’s even Vegan!
Ingredients:
Musakhan is based on 3 main ingredients, you cannot make musakhan without it, and those cannot be replaced/ substituted with other ingredients, these are:
- Olive oil: use premium quality extra virgin olive oil to make this recipe.
- Onion: red or white onion can be used.
- Sumac: you will need plenty of sumac to make any musakhan recipe it is what makes this recipe unique! Try to source high-quality whole sumac seeds, then you can grind it yourself if possible. Check this post if you want to know more about Sumac!
Other ingredients you will need:
- King oyster mushrooms: it has the perfect texture that when shredded resembles shredded chicken, which is used in making traditional musakhan. Other alternatives will be oyster mushrooms.
- Bread: for this recipe, I have used rice wraps, which are thin type of wraps that resembles saj bread. Alternatively, you can use tortilla bread, saj, or Markouk bread.
- Spices: cumin, coriander, and chili powder
- Salt & pepper.
- Toasted pine nuts are optional but highly recommended.
How to make Vegan Musakhan rolls:
Prepping & cooking the mushrooms:
- Preheat the oven to 190℃, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Using a fork, shred the mushrooms and separate any large pieces.
- Add olive oil, salt, pepper, sumac, cumin, coriander, and chili powder.
- Massage the oil and spice blend into the mushrooms well, and transfer to the baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Cooking the onions:
- Heat olive oil in a pan, then add the sliced onions.
- Add salt, pepper, and sumac, and let them cook for 10 minutes on medium-high heat, till the onions are caramelized and soft.
Making musakhan rolls:
- Once the mushrooms and onions are cooked, it is time to prepare the rolls.
- Preheat the oven to 200℃, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Open the wraps add the mushrooms and onions in the middle and roll it.
- Transfer the rolls to the baking sheet, and put the rolls face down.
- Brush the rolls with olive oil sprinkle sumac powder and bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes.
- Flip the rolls, brush the other side with olive oil sprinkle more sumac powder, and bake for 7-10 more minutes till crispy.
- Remove from oven and serve.
How to serve Musakhan rolls?
Serve Musakhan rolls straight away from the oven, you can serve them as an appetizer to your main dish or with a soup, like tomato soup, or lentil soup.
Can be served as a main dish with a dip like this vegan mutabal.
How to store leftovers?
If you end up with any leftover rolls, transfer them to an air-tight container and store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. All you need to do is to reheat them in the oven before serving them.
Recommended recipes:
For more Middle Eastern-inspired appetizers, try this vegan arayes recipe, or this baba ganoush easy-to-make recipe!
If you make this recipe, I’d love a comment, and to rate this recipe. Please make sure to tag me in re-creation on Instagram @veganbilaraby. I love to see your take on my vegan recipes 💚
Vegan Musakhan Rolls
Ingredients
Ingredients for the mushrooms:
- 400 g king oyster mushrooms
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp pink salt
- 2 tbsp sumac powder
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Ingredients for the onoins:
- 2 red onions sliced large
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp sumac powder
Other ingredients:
- 10 rice wraps/tortilla
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts optional
Instructions
Prepping & cooking the mushrooms:
- Preheat the oven to 190℃. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a fork, shred the mushrooms and separate any large pieces.
- Add olive oil, salt, pepper, sumac, cumin, coriander, and chili powder. Massage the oil and spice blend into the mushrooms well and transfer to the baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Cooking the onions:
- While the mushrooms are baking , start cooking the onions.
- Heat olive oil in a pan, then add the sliced onion.
- Add salt, pepper, and sumac, and let them cook for 10 minutes on medium-high heat, till the onions are caramelized and soft.
Making Musakhan rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 200℃. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Open the wrap/tortilla, add the mushrooms and onions in the middle, and roll it
- Transfer the rolls to the baking tray, and put the rolls face down.
- Brush the rolls with olive oil sprinkle sumac powder and bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes.
- Flip the rolls, brush the other side with olive oil sprinkle more sumac powder, and bake for 7-10 more minutes till crispy.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle more sumac powder, drizzle of olive oil, and add the pine nuts. Serve and enjoy
Jan says
Yum, Palestinian food is the best, your vegan recipe hit the spot!
veganbilaraby says
Thank you😊, and couldnt agree more , Palestinian food is truly the best 🇵🇸❤️