Greek Eggplant Moussaka (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Eggplant Ingredients
01 -
Brush 2 tablespoons of olive oil on strips of 3 large eggplants (about 1.5kg), sliced about 0.6cm thick lengthwise
02 -
Some black pepper for seasoning
03 -
1 tablespoon of kosher salt to sprinkle
→ Meat Filling
04 -
450g ground lamb or beef of your choice
05 -
1 finely diced large onion
06 -
3 minced garlic cloves
07 -
1 (400g) can of chopped tomatoes
08 -
Salt and pepper as needed
09 -
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
10 -
2 teaspoons dried oregano
→ Béchamel Topping
11 -
4 spoons of butter
12 -
60g of plain flour
13 -
600ml of milk, warmed
14 -
2 large eggs
15 -
A pinch of nutmeg (¼ teaspoon)
16 -
½ teaspoon of salt
# Instructions:
01 -
Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let them sit for half an hour to release moisture. Wipe the slices dry, brush them with oil, and roast them in the oven at 200°C for 20 minutes till golden brown.
02 -
Cook the ground meat in a pan over medium to high heat. Toss in the chopped onions and garlic, and let them soften. Pour in the diced tomato can and stir. Season with oregano, cinnamon, salt, and a bit of pepper. Let the mixture simmer and thicken up for around 20 minutes.
03 -
Melt the butter in a medium pot, then mix in the flour until it gets bubbly. Slowly whisk in the warm milk and keep whisking till it's creamy and thicker (about 5-7 minutes). To add the eggs, first stir a little of the hot sauce into the eggs to prevent scrambling, then mix them into the pan. Spice things up with nutmeg and salt.
04 -
Lay half of your roasted eggplant slabs across the bottom of a 23×33cm baking tray. Spread all the meat sauce nicely on top. Put the rest of the eggplant slices over it. Cover the entire thing with the béchamel sauce so that it’s fully coated.
05 -
Heat your oven to 175°C and bake for about 45-50 minutes until the top is golden. Before serving, let the baked dish sit for 15 minutes to make cutting easier.
# Notes:
01 -
Salting the eggplant before cooking reduces water and any bitter taste.
02 -
Letting the moussaka sit after baking keeps the layers intact when serving.