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Moussaka

Name: Moussaka
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 Eggplant; 2 Potatoes; 4 tbsp Olive oil; 500 g Ground beef; 1 Onion; 3 cloves Minced garlic; 400 g Tomatoes; 2 tbsp Tomato paste; 0.5 cup Red wine; 0.5 tsp Cinnamon; 0.25 tsp Allspice; Salt & pepper; 4 tbsp Butter; 4 tbsp Flour; 3 cups Milk; 2 Egg yolks; Nutmeg; 0.5 cup Parmigiano

Roasted eggplant and potato layered with a spiced meat sauce and topped with a silky bechamel, baked until golden — Greece's iconic casserole. Like lasagna, but the cinnamon-scented sauce and creamy bechamel give it a distinctly Greek depth.

Ingredients

6servings

Layers
Eggplant2
Potatoes2
Olive oil · for roasting4 tbsp
Meat sauce
Ground beef · or lamb500 g
Onion · chopped1
Minced garlic3 cloves
Tomatoes · canned or fresh400 g
Tomato paste2 tbsp
Red wine · optional0.5 cup
Cinnamon0.5 tsp
Allspice · optional0.25 tsp
Salt & pepper · to taste
Bechamel
Butter4 tbsp
Flour4 tbsp
Milk3 cups
Egg yolks2
Nutmeg · a pinch
Parmigiano · grated0.5 cup

Steps

Slice the eggplant and potato 1cm thick; salt the eggplant, rest 10 minutes, and pat dry. Brush with olive oil and roast at 200C or pan-fry until golden.
⏲ 20 min
Meat sauce: fry the onion and garlic in olive oil, then add the ground meat and brown it.
⏲ 5 min
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, cinnamon, and allspice and simmer until thick and nearly dry.
⏲ 15 min
Bechamel: cook the flour in the butter, whisk in the milk until thick, then off the heat stir in the yolks, cheese, and nutmeg.
⏲ 7 min
Layer potato, then eggplant, then meat sauce in a baking dish, and pour the bechamel evenly over the top.
⏲ 5 min
Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 180C for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden.
⏲ 45 min
Rest 15 minutes before cutting so the layers hold. Serve with Greek salad.
⏲ 15 min

Tips & Variations

Variations

No potato: Use only eggplant for a lighter version.
Zucchini moussaka: Layer zucchini instead of eggplant.
Vegetarian: Swap the meat for lentils.
Mini moussaka: Bake in individual dishes.

Tips

Salt the eggplant to draw out bitterness and reduce oil absorption.
Simmer the meat sauce thick so the layers don't turn watery.
Cinnamon and allspice are the signature aroma of Greek moussaka.
Rest 15 minutes after baking so it slices into clean layers.

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