Greek Moussaka

Greek Moussaka Recipe

Moussaka is a Greek dish. Moussaka for the Greeks is like lasagna for the Italians. This recipe requires a lot of time and effort, but it’s worth it! A rich filling of minced meat, baked eggplant, like leaves of lasagna dough, and a thick cap of Bechamel sauce. A tender, hearty dish
… it is impossible to stop! A spicy taste is given to it by dry red wine and fragrant ground cinnamon. The cooking time can be different for everyone – it all depends on the dishes and the hob.

We baked eggplants in the oven, but you can also fry them in a frying pan. Be sure to salt the eggplants before cooking and let them stand for a while, so the salt pulls the bitterness out of the eggplants. Do not forget to rinse the eggplants after salting. Minced meat can be used beef or mutton, who likes what.

Recipe type: Casseroles

Recipe type: Greek

Yield: 6-8

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Beef broth or water — 250 ml

Ground beef — 750 grams

Eggplant — 1 kg

White (yellow or red) onion — 1 large onion

Garlic — 4 cloves

Salt

Dry red wine — 125 ml

Olive oil for frying

Ground tomatoes — 400 grams

Bay leaf — 2 pieces

Toamt paste — 3 tablespoons

Sugar — 1 ½ teaspoons

Dried oregano — 2 teaspoons

Ground cinnamon — ½ teaspoon

Milk — 650 ml

Flour — 50 grams

Butter — 60 grams

Parmesan cheese — 60 grams

Nutmeg — 1 ¼ teaspoon

Pepper to taste

Chicken egg — 1 piece

Chicken yolk — 1 piece

Breadcrumbs — 20 grams

Directions:

1. Wash the eggplants and cut them lengthwise into slices 1 inch or 2-3 cm thick.

2. Sprinkle the eggplants with salt and put them on a plate. Leave for 20 minutes.

3. Wash the eggplants in running water and dry them with paper towels.

4. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet for baking.

5. Lubricate the eggplants with olive oil on both sides and put them on parchment paper.

6. Preheat the oven to 450°F (240°C) and bake the eggplants for 20 minutes. The time may be different, it all depends on the oven. Eggplants should be browned. It may be necessary to make several batches.

7. Peel onion and garlic and finely chop.

8. Filling: In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil at maximum temperature.

9. Add garlic and onion to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.

10. Add the minced meat and cook until the color changes to brown.

11. Reduce the heat to medium.

12. Add dry red wine, ground tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, bay leaves, sugar, oregano, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of salt.

13. Cook the stuffing from minced meat until the sauce thickens. It may take up to 1 hour.

14. Bechamel sauce: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour gradually and mix. You should get a thick mass.

15. Add milk in parts to the saucepan and mix all the time! Once all the milk is added, stir continuously until the sauce thickens. It took us about 20 minutes.

16. Add ground nutmeg, pepper to taste, grated Parmesan cheese, chicken egg and another egg yolk to the sauce. Mix it up.

17. Put a layer of eggplant on the bottom of the baking dish (we have a square 8.6 inches or 22 cm). Next, we put all the stuffing from the minced meat. Cover the minced meat with a layer of eggplants and pour the Bechamel sauce. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.

18. Put it in the oven at 360° F (180°C) for one hour. The time may be different for you! The main thing is that the crust starts to brown on top.

Serving: Serve hot with a glass of dry red wine!

Bon Appetit!