Eggplant moussaka

Eggplant moussaka

Eggplant moussaka is a perfect, savory dish for a feast with large groups of people. It is prepared immediately for everyone and served on a large baking sheet.

One of the Greek film actors expressed the idea that every word is of Greek origin. Taking into account that the first cookery books appeared, as is commonly believed, in Greece before our era, we think about the origin of culinary dishes in the same way.

But the usual Greek moussaka, which is prepared like a casserole, layers of eggplant alternated with layers of lamb and tomatoes, then filled with snow-white sauce and baked, can hardly be considered an old dish. The reason is simple: eggplant comes from India, where it grows wild, and was cultivated just over 1500 years ago.

At first, eggplants were grown in Asia and China, later they were brought by the Arabs (al-badhinjan) to Africa and the Mediterranean. With the advent of tomatoes, eggplants with tomatoes became one of the most popular dishes.

But, whatever it was, it was moussaka, a casserole with thin slices of eggplant layered with minced meat (usually lamb or pork), with a sauce of tomatoes and vegetables, from time to time with a golden baked crust on top. This is exactly what eggplant moussaka looks like.

Moussaka recipes vary depending on the country in which it is prepared. But baked eggplants can be found in almost any recipe. Let's prepare moussaka the same way they cook it in Turkey, but from pork. Eggplant moussaka, cooked in a large baking dish, can become the centerpiece of a good feast.

Ingredients for eggplant moussaka

• Eggplants 5-6 pcs
• Onion 2 pcs
• Tomatoes 6-8 pcs.
• Meat (pork, beef) 0.5 kg
• Bell pepper 3 pcs
• Vegetable oil 50 ml
• Salt, dark ground pepper, dried Mediterranean herbs to taste

How to make eggplant moussaka

1. It is believed that the word “moussaka” translates as “juicy”. But in Arabic the word moussaka مبرد (musaqqa`) means “chilled”. In Turkey, moussaka is not laid out in layers, as in Greece or Bulgaria. In Turkey, vegetables are stewed with minced meat; this is exactly how eggplant moussaka is prepared.
2. For eggplant moussaka, you need the freshest young vegetables: eggplants with a black surface, ripe colorful tomatoes, large onions and good bell peppers.

Fresh young vegetables for moussaka

Pork for moussaka

Cut the eggplants into slices

Remove seeds from pepper and cut into thin rings

Fry onions in vegetable oil

Add minced meat and simmer covered

Next add the chopped tomato pulp

Place half of the eggplants on the bottom of the pan.

Place minced meat on top

Arrange peppers and tomatoes

Arrange all the remaining baked eggplant slices

Add all the remaining minced meat

Arrange a few slices of tomato and sweet pepper rings

Moussaka with eggplant must be perfectly baked

Moussaka with eggplant, crusted with béchamel sauce

Greek moussaka with eggplant - traditional step-by-step recipe

Hi all! Now we have a very exciting Greek dish - moussaka. This is a casserole of eggplant and minced meat, generously poured with bechamel sauce on top. A very appetizing and superbly tasty dish.

I have divided the recipe description into two steps to make it easier for you to take. At first we will fry everything in a frying pan, and later we will start baking it in the oven. Read all aspects below.

I really like these little blue vegetables. Therefore, I would also like to recommend to you other delicious recipes with their role - ratatouille or simply eggplant baked in the oven using various methods. Try it, you will definitely like it.

Greek moussaka with eggplant

According to the recipe, the products contain minced lamb. But personally, I took the usual mixed pork and beef. And for piquancy, you can also add hot pepper, but this is not for everyone. This version does not have it.

Ingredients:

• Minced meat - 300 gr
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Eggplants - 2 pcs.
• Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• Sweet pepper - 1 pc.
• Hard cheese (grated) - 200 g
• Flour - 1 tablespoon
• Tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
• Butter - 50 g
• Milk – 400 ml
• Testicles - 2 pcs.
• Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
• Vegetable oil
• Salt, pepper - to taste

Step-by-step production:

1. Cut the eggplants into thin slices about 3-5 mm. Place them in a deep dish and season with moderate salt. Leave it like this for 15 minutes.

2. Cut the onions into small cubes. Peel the pepper from the stalk, seeds and inner walls. Later also cut it into cubes.

Place the frying pan on the heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat it up and put the onions in there. Fry lightly and add pepper. Stir and fry over low heat for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, cut the tomatoes into cubes.

3. Next, add minced meat and chopped tomatoes to the pan. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, salt and spices to your taste. Stir again, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Now let's get back to the eggplants. Rinse them under cool water and rinse off the salt. Then place them on a paper towel and dry them, dabbing them on top with a towel or napkin.

Thanks to these actions, when frying, they will not absorb much oil and will not be very greasy.

5. Next, heat a frying pan with vegetable oil and fry any circle until golden brown on both sides.

6. After this, let's start making bechamel sauce. Place a small saucepan or ladle on the fire. Put butter there. When it is already half melted, add flour, stir and fry.

7. Then pour the milk into it. Stirring frequently, bring to a boil. The sauce should thicken evenly. When the sauce has thickened, add a little salt and break 2 eggs. Stir vigorously while doing this. When you achieve homogeneity, remove the bechamel from the heat.

Traditional Greek moussaka recipe

The first step of making Greek moussaka is completed. The minced meat and eggplants are fried, the sauce is ready. Now prepare the form in which you will cook your casserole and proceed to the second step.

8. Place the minced meat with vegetables on the bottom of the mold and level it out. Place a layer of fried eggplant slices on top. Pour bechamel sauce over all this and sprinkle generously with grated cheese on top.

You can also lay out the layers differently: first a narrow layer of eggplant, later a layer of minced meat and again blue ones. Pour in the sauce and cover with cheese.

9. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the casserole dish there and bake for 40-45 minutes. The moussaka will be perfectly baked on the inside and will have a lovely golden color on top. Leave the dish to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. This way it will cut better later and keep its shape.

Video on how to prepare moussaka with potatoes, eggplant and minced meat

I would like to show you another option for making moussaka in Greek, with the addition of potatoes to the ingredients. The process itself differs little from the above, but the end result is an even more rich and satisfying dish. The creator of the video explains everything very carefully and clearly, so there should be no questions left.

Ingredients:

• Eggplants (large) - 2-3 pcs.
• Garlic - 2-3 cloves
• Potatoes - 4-5 pcs.
• Onion - 1 pc.
• Minced beef (lamb) - 500 gr
• Tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
• Tomatoes in their juice (or fresh) - 400 g
• Salt, pepper - to taste
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
• Ground cinnamon - 1/3 teaspoon
• Bay leaf - 1 pc.
• Olive oil (or vegetable oil) - for frying
• Butter - 1 teaspoon

For the sauce:

• Milk – 500 ml
• Butter - 30 g
• Flour - 3 tablespoons
• Salt - to taste
• Nutmeg - a pinch
• Testicles - 2 pcs.
• Parmesan cheese

Well, now you understand how to cook this magical Greek casserole and you can amuse your family with an indescribably delicious dinner. Choose the recipe you like and get started.

Moussaka

Greek moussaka (adapted)

I always respect the famous dishes of the state cuisines of the world, especially the Greek cuisine that I love so much, but in a critical situation I resorted to improvising on the theme of “Moussaka”, and this is what I came up with.

Almost traditional moussaka

There are as many recipes for moussaka, even in Greece, as there are recipes for our borscht. I’ve been preparing my own version of this surprisingly tasty state dish for 15 years, so it’s love at first spoon, as they say!

Balkan style moussaka

By chance, the other day in the store I came across Serbian cheese, and a recipe came to mind that a friend brought me from her vacation in Montenegro. Based on her words, I made it as she remembered; I had to figure out some of it myself, so the recipe doesn’t pretend to be authentic, but it’s deliciously unusual and a completely light, summer version. Serbian cheese tastes more like Feta than Russian cheese. So it’s better to use Feta instead of Serbian cheese. There is no need to add salt to the dish. My form is the size of a printed A4 sheet and about 8 cm high.

Moussaka in Croatian

I became acquainted with this dish about 30 years ago, my future husband asked me to make moussaka, my eyes are wide open :) What kind of moussaka is it, what do you eat it with? I had to learn, fortunately, everything is very simple)) Later I began to add vegetables of my own: eggplants, mushrooms. This dish helps me out when I’m tired of cooking, when I have a handful of minced meat and a few mushrooms or an eggplant on hand. When you need to feed your family well, but don’t want to stand at the stove. 20 minutes of preparation and that’s it - the “pot” is preparing itself, you can relax!)) To avoid misunderstandings, I would like to add that Moussaka is prepared in all Balkan countries. This recipe is from Croatian-Bosnian cuisine. This is an everyday, simple and satisfying dish.

Roasted vegetable moussaka

The dominance of vegetables haunts me, and I'm looking for the latest recipes. Now there will be no gag: the recipe is taken verbatim from the book “Greek Cuisine”. In a small book, I calculated 6 different recipes for moussaka: with lamb and potatoes, with lentils, with minced beef. So there is room for improvisation. I liked this recipe because we bake vegetables with virtually no fat, no meat, so the dish turned out light, tasty and delicious.

Lenten moussaka

Now I have prepared a fascinating moussaka. A very satisfying and tasty Lenten dish. Once again I was taken aback by the compatibility of goods. My daughter ate with such an appetite that her ears were cracking. Both my husband and I really liked it. I think that this dish is most likely “inspired by Greek cuisine,” but I highly recommend it.

Moussaka in Lebanese

The recipe for this moussaka is from a book about Lebanese cuisine by the creator Hussein Dekmak, the owner of a Lebanese restaurant in London. This moussaka has nothing in common with Greek moussaka, apart from the introduction of eggplant in both dishes. Juicy chicken breast in tandem with tender eggplants and the most delicious sauce - this dish is worth trying.

Zucchini moussaka

A very tasty zucchini dish

Moussaka burger

Moussaka is a casserole of vegetables, most often with eggplant, and minced meat in a bechamel-type sauce. Well, the moussaka burger is a large cutlet with onions, carrots and eggplants. No eggs, no flour, no bread. Completely a dietary option for yourself. What kind of cutlet is this anyway? Firstly, this is a very tasty cutlet, secondly, it is very warm and airy, thirdly, it is good when cool and, if cut in half lengthwise, is great for a sandwich. It doesn’t take much longer to cook ordinary cutlets, but the result is fun. I thank the delightful cook Fyodor Vladimirovich for the original recipe. I recommend!

Moussaka casserole

This recipe was given to me by my Greek neighbor a long time ago, it turns out very tasty, I recommend it!

Moussaka . Moussaka is a vegetable dish (from time to time supplemented with a meat component) baked in the oven, widespread in the cuisines of the Balkan Peninsula and the countries of the Middle East. At the same time, the recipe of the dish can vary widely in one or another country in which the dish is prepared.

This is a hot dish, juicy, usually consisting of several layers, seasoned with olive or other vegetable oil. Most often, moussaka contains eggplants and tomatoes; lamb is often found in the types of meat, but chefs can also use other types of meat products to make moussaka.

Layers of goods are prepared in advance, according to the recipe of the dish, then they are placed in layers in a mold, generously poured with bechamel sauce or another, and the mold is placed in a heated oven for 40-50 minutes.

Nowadays, modern moussaka, in addition to the main ingredients, can contain various vegetables (onions, zucchini, carrots, potatoes, garlic and others), spices (bay leaf, pepper and others), chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley, basil, cilantro, celery) .

Moussaka is an independent dish, so it is absolutely not necessary to prepare a separate side dish for it, because in this dish meat, vegetables, and sauce are successfully mixed.

It is served in portions on separate plates, or placed on a common plate and served with a spatula.

For moussaka, you can serve the freshest yeast buns, toast, fried bread, corn tortillas or bread, oriental tortillas as bread.

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Lagman in Uzbek style with beef

Moussaka is an eggplant dish. In Arab countries it is a tomato and eggplant salad. And moussaka in Greek is eggplant with meat, actually a stew, only with a juicy creamy cheese sauce - bechamel. A very satisfying and tasty dish that definitely needs to be tried.

Ingredients

general information

Total production time

1 hour 30 minutes

Active production time

40 minutes

Complexity

Average

Number of servings

Kitchen

Step-by-step recipe with photos

Video recipe

Cut the eggplants into rings, lightly salt (1/2 tsp) and leave for some time to release the bitterness.

Peel the onion and cut into small cubes. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion, stirring occasionally. Fry for 7 minutes over medium heat.

Cut the veal (and in the standard lamb) into small cubes and add to the fried onions. Cook over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring.

Pour boiling water over the tomatoes for 2 minutes, then drain the water and rinse with cool water. Remove the skin from the tomato and grate it. Add tomato paste. Cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat until the water has completely boiled away.

Meanwhile, fry the eggplants on both sides in olive oil until slightly golden brown. Place fried eggplants in a baking dish.

Grate the cheese on a large grater and divide into 3 parts. Place 1/3 of the grated cheese on the eggplants.

By this time the meat will be cooked. Pass a clove of garlic through a press and add a pinch of nutmeg, marjoram, salt (1 tsp), pepper (1/2 tsp) - mix. Spread this mixture over the eggplants.

Place the cream in the microwave to heat up.
At this time, melt the butter in a saucepan, then add flour and stir until smooth, so that there are no lumps. Pour in the warm cream, stir again and heat over low heat until thickened. When the sauce thickens, add 1/3 of the cheese and heat until it has completely melted. Pour this sauce over the meat filling. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Place the moussaka in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 45 minutes.

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