Check out this vegan Slovenian prekmurska gibanica guide
Prekmurska gibanica, a traditional Slovenian dessert from the Prekmurje region, is renowned for its layered medley of poppy seeds, walnuts, apples, and sweetened tofu filling, providing a vegan alternative to the original. This delicacy is a fixture at Slovenian festivities and holidays, epitomizing the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Get ready to cook up a slice of Slovenian tradition for your dining table.
Gather the following ingredients
Take 200 grams of phyllo pastry sheets, 150 grams each of ground poppy seeds and walnuts, two large grated apples, and 400 grams of tofu blended smooth with a little plant milk and sugar to taste. Also keep cinnamon and about 200 grams of sugar for seasoning the layers, 50 ml of plant milk for brushing, and vegan margarine for greasing the pan.
Prepare your layers
Begin by preheating your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) and lightly grease your baking dish with vegan margarine. Place two sheets of phyllo pastry at the bottom of the dish and brush them lightly with plant milk. You will be doing it between each layer to keep everything moist. Sounds fun?
Create the fillings
Set aside four bowls for the fillings: one with poppy seeds, ground and sweetened with a bit of sugar; another with walnuts, also ground and sweetened; one with apples, grated and lightly tossed in cinnamon and sugar; and finally, blended tofu sweetened to your liking. These are the layers that give gibanica its character.
Layering the gibanica
Start the layering process by spreading half of the poppy seed mixture over the first two sheets of phyllo pastry. Top it with two more sheets brushed lightly with plant milk. Follow the same process first with walnuts, then apples, then tofu mixture—each time topping them with two brushed phyllo sheets.
Bake and serve
After layering everything twice and topping with phyllo pastry brushed with plant milk, bake at 180 degrees Celsius for an hour or until it turns golden. Let it cool a bit, then slice it into squares or rectangles. Voila, your vegan prekmurska gibanica is ready! You can now enjoy a piece of Slovenia's culinary history, even if you're following a plant-based diet.
