Moussaka is a dish with Greek origins. It is similar to lasagna in North America. It is a very nutritious, balanced main course meal with eggplant being one of its major ingredients. Eggplant is a purplish Indian fruit and is a staple in the Mediterranean dishes. Moussaka is a layered dish with a combination of eggplant, potatoes, ground beef, tomatoes and a parmesan cheese sauce. There are many variations to the moussaka recipe but the idea of a layered dish with eggplant is standard.
Tools
- Baking Dish
- Two Sauce pans
- Two pots
- Two wooden spoons
Ingredients for moussaka recipe
- 2 lbs of ground beef
- 4-6 large egg plants
- 2 lbs potatoes
- 4 large tomatoes
- 4 stalks of scallion
- Thyme
- Pepper
- Garlic
- Salt
- Cooking oil
Bechamel Sauce
- 1 Stick of butter
- 1 cup flour
- Milk- 4 cups
- 4 egg yolks
- Two cups of parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare egg plant by cutting off top and bottom and then down the centre. Peel off purple skin if desired. Soak in salt water to remove the bitter taste and then fry in oil for about two minutes. Next, wash and dry the baking dish. Oil it slightly and place some bread crumbs on the bottom. Place the eggplant on the bottom of the baking dish to make the first layer.
Chop the scallion, thyme, pepper and onion in fine pieces and combine ground beef with seasoning. Add salt to taste. Simmer in sauce pan until brown and stir with wooden spoon. Turn off the heat when all the liquid has dried out. Spread half of the meat over the egg plant to make the second layer.
Parboil potatoes and then make slices. Place over ground beef layer to form the third layer. Use the slices of tomato to make the fourth layer. Spread the rest of the beef to make a fifth layer.
Add warm milk to butter and flour and whisk them thoroughly until a liquid is formed. Next, add egg yolk and cheese to make the bechamel sauce. Keep stirring the sauce with the wooden spoon to ensure the consistency and turn off the heat as soon it is thick enough.
Use this sauce to make the sixth layer. Pour over the beef and ensure it is covered.
Bake until the top layer is golden brown. Test if it is cooked by sticking a knife in the centre. No liquid should flow out and all layers should stick together. The Moussaka is ready when it has cohesiveness.
Tip and warnings
The purpose of soaking the egg plant in salt water is to remove the bitter taste. Egg plants are bitter when they are old. Peeling off the purple layer makes it easier to cut the moussaka in slices when ready. The oil from the fried moussaka may be sufficient to oil the baking dish.
When making the sauce, ensure that the milk is warm to prevent lumps from being formed. Stir vigorously if necessary.
Serve the moussaka while it is warm.
Related Article
