Moussaka
Moussaka (Greek: μουσακάς) – a casserole based on eggplant, tomatoes and minced meat; a dish popular in Greek cuisine. The top layer of the dish is béchamel sauce sprinkled with yellow cheese
INGREDIENTS
VEGETABLES
- 3 potatoes (peeled, cut into slices approx. 3-5 mm thick)
- 1 onion (cut into half-moons)
- 2 zucchini (medium size; cut into slices approx. 5 mm thick)
- 2 eggplants (medium size; cut into slices approx. 5 mm thick)
- 6 tablespoons of olive oil
- salt pepper
MEAT FILLING
- 500 g ground beef
- 500 g tomatoes (ripe, sweet in taste; cut into small cubes)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons of oil (for frying, e.g. rapeseed)
- ½ teaspoon of sugar (I recommend birch sugar, i.e. xylitol or erythritol)
- ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- salt pepper
BECHAMEL SAUCE
- 4 cups of milk
- 100 g butter
- 4 tablespoons of flour (in the gluten-free version you can use a universal mixture instead of wheat flour)
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Preparation:
- Fry the onion, eggplant and zucchini in olive oil for about 3 minutes on each side, lightly sprinkling with salt.
- I place potatoes at the bottom of the dish, then cover with eggplant and then zucchini. Between each layer I add onion and thyme as well as salt and pepper (I use half of the thyme, the rest will go to the meat).
- I sprinkle the vegetables with half the cheese.
MEAT FILLING
- Put the onion and garlic in a pan over low heat, sprinkling lightly with salt and sugar.
- Add the meat and fry over medium heat, shredding it with a spatula and mixing with the onion and garlic.
- I add tomatoes, cinnamon and nutmeg. I reduce the heat and simmer for about 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes fall apart.
- I remove it from the heat and add thyme. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
BECHAMEL SAUCE
- add the flour to the butter and over low heat, stirring constantly, I make a light golden roux.
- I pour milk and lemon juice into the roux and add all the spices. Stirring constantly, over low heat, bring the sauce to thicken.
LAYERING
- I set the oven to 180 ° C (top + bottom).
- I place the meat stuffing on the vegetables in the dish.
- I pour béchamel sauce over the meat.
BAKING
- Bake the moussaka for about 30-40 minutes covered. During the last 10 minutes of baking, uncover and sprinkle with the remaining feta cheese
SERVING
- Cool for a few minutes and you can serve.
- Ready-made, hot moussaka is difficult to cut. But when it is brought to room temperature, then cooled in the refrigerator and then reheated, it is much easier to cut.
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