Easy Moussaka | Video
Easy moussaka recipe with layers of veggies and meat sauce - delicious in every bite!
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Ingredients
Cook vegetables:
- 6 eggplants or aubergines ends removed and cut into 1 cm -thick slices
- 4 large potatoes peeled and cut into 1 cm - thick slices
- oil to fry or bake eggplants and potatoes
- salt
Meat sauce:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 500 g minced ground lamb
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 can 400 g diced tomatoes or 4 large tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon cinnamon powder
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- ¼ cup red wine optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Bechamel sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 and ½ cups hot milk
- 2 eggs
- Salt to taste
To assemble:
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 cup grated parmesan or kefalograviera cheese I used parmesan
Instructions
Cook vegetables:
- Sprinkle the eggplant (aubergine) slices with a generous amount of salt. Set aside for 20 minutes. Rinse under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towel.
- You can either bake or fry the eggplants and potatoes. To fry, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan. Fry eggplant slices in batches until both sides are browned. Drain on an absorbent paper towel. Set aside. To bake the vegetables, arrange eggplants and potatoes in two baking trays in a single
layer. Drizzle with oil. Season with salt. Bake at 180 C or 350 F for 20-25 minutes. You can also grill the vegetables if you like. Set aside.
Make meat sauce:
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add minced (ground) lamb. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 6-8 minutes or until browned. Remove from the pan. Set aside.
- To the same pan, add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes.
- Add cinnamon, oregano, parsley and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add browned lamb and red wine (if using). Stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes and let the alcohol evaporate. Reduce
heat and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Make bechamel sauce:
- Melt butter in a small heavy-based saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Whisk in flour gradually and continue whisking for 1 minute or until cooked.
- Pour in hot milk gradually to the butter flour mixture, whisking constantly to ensure the mixture is smooth and thick.
- Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the sauce
has thickened. Season with salt. Remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly. - Break 2 eggs into a large bowl. Add a little bechamel and stir to combine. Add the remaining bechamel sauce and stir. Set aside.
Assemble:
- Preheat oven to 180 C / 350 F. Sprinkle half of breadcrumbs onto the base of 9-inch x 9-inch base (3cm deep) baking dish.
- Top with a layer of cooked potatoes, then half of eggplants (aubergines). Add half of meat sauce and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle with half of grated cheese.
- Add the remaining breadcrumbs, eggplants (aubergines)
and meat sauce. - Pour in bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake
for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on top. - Allow to cool slightly before cutting into pieces. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Lamb can be substituted with beef if you like
- You can use either red wine or white wine in this recipe. However, it’s optional.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 841kcal | Carbohydrates: 142g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 725mg | Fiber: 28g | Sugar: 34g