Moussaka with eggplants
5 servings
100 minutes
Moussaka with eggplants is a soulful dish of Greek cuisine, infused with the aromas of Mediterranean spices and fresh ingredients. Its history traces back to the Ottoman Empire, but Greece has given it a unique charm. Tender baked eggplants harmoniously blend with a fragrant meat sauce seasoned with cinnamon and oregano. Tomato paste and tomatoes add a slight tanginess, while the yogurt and parmesan sauce provides tenderness and a golden crust. Feta cheese completes the flavor symphony, making moussaka perfectly balanced. This hearty, warming dish is suitable for family dinners, celebrations, and quiet evenings.
1
Wash the eggplants, slice them into rounds, arrange on a baking sheet, brush with olive oil, salt, and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
- Eggplant: 1 kg
- Olive oil: 5 tablespoon
2
Peel the onion, slice it into rings, and sauté in olive oil. Add garlic. Transfer to a bowl.
- Onion: 500 g
- Garlic: 3 cloves
3
In the same pot, fry the minced meat, add the fried onion, tomato paste, tomatoes, cinnamon, bay leaf, and oregano. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Ground lamb: 700 g
- Tomato paste: 2 tablespoons
- Tomatoes in their own juice: 400 g
- Ground cinnamon: 0.5 teaspoon
- Bay leaf: 2 pieces
- Fresh oregano leaves: to taste
4
Prepare the sauce: mix yogurt, egg, and half of the parmesan. Add salt, pepper, sprinkle with nutmeg, and whisk.
- Plain (natural) yoghurt: 200 g
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
- Ground nutmeg: pinch
- Grated Parmesan cheese: 50 tablespoons
5
Place half of the minced meat in a deep fireproof dish. Cover with a layer of eggplants and season. Repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of eggplants on top.
- Ground lamb: 700 g
- Eggplant: 1 kg
6
Sprinkle with pieces of brinza, drizzle with sauce, and top with remaining parmesan. Bake in the oven until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes, sprinkle with herbs, and serve.
- Brynza cheese: 75 g
- Grated Parmesan cheese: 50 tablespoons
