Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Lasagna)
User Reviews
5.0
726 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
40 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Servings
6 people
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Calories
434 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Greek
Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Lasagna)
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Recipe video above. A traditional recipe for an iconic Greek dish from a wonderful cookbook called The Food And Cooking Of Greece by Sara Nassopoulos. Layers of soft eggplant, rich beef or lamb filling lightly spiced with oregano and cinnamon, topped with a thick layer of bechamel sauce. It looks like a lot of steps but the recipe has a nice flow to it - I've popped prompts in the steps. đ
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Ingredients
Eggplant
- 1 kg / 2 lb eggplant (aubergines) , 0.75cm / 0.3" thick slices
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion , diced (brown, white, yellow)
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1.4 lb / 700 g ground beef or lamb (mince) (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup red wine , dry (optional)
- 14 oz /400g crushed tomatoes
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup beef broth/stock (Note 2)
- 1 beef bouillon cube , crumbled (or 1 tsp powder)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1.5 tsp sugar (any)
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or 1 stick, use whole)
- 3/4 tsp salt
Bechamel Sauce
- 4 tbsp (60g) butter
- 5 tbsp plain flour
- 2 1/2 cups milk (any fat %)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated (optional)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (or Kefalotiri Cheese) (Note 3)
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/4 tsp Vegeta, vegetable or chicken stock powder (or salt) (Note 4)
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Topping
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 5)
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Instructions
Eggplant (Note 6)
- Place eggplant slightly overlapping in a large colander. Sprinkle with some salt. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
- Leave to sweat for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make Meat Sauce and Béchamel Sauce.
- Preheat oven to 240C/450F.Â
- Pat eggplant dry - make sure to do this well, otherwise it's too salty. Lay on parchment paper lined trays (you might need 3 trays, work in batches), brush with oil.
- Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned and softened . Remove and set aside to cool slightly.
Meat Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pot over high heat, then cook the garlic and onion for 2 minutes.Â
- Add the beef or lamb and cook until it changes from pink to brown, breaking it up as you go.
- Add wine, cook for 1.5 minutes or until alcohol smell is gone.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes, or until reduced to a thick sauce.
Bechamel Sauce
- Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Stirring constantly, slowly add the milk. Then stir regularly for 3 to 5 minutes or until it thickens so that it thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon (see video / step photos).
- Remove from the stove and whisk in cheese, nutmeg, Vegeta/stock powder (or salt) and pepper.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then whisk the eggs in. Cover with lid until required.
Assemble
- Lower oven to 180C/350F (all oven types).
- Place half the eggplant in the bottom of a baking dish (I used my 26cm/9" Lodge skillet), then top with all the Filling.
- Top with remaining eggplant, then pour over the BĂ©chamel Sauce, sprinkle with breadcrumbs.Â
- Bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Meat - lamb is traditional, beef is equally delicious!
- Beef stock - or use hot water plus 1 extra bouillon stock cube (or 1 tsp of powder)
- Cheese - Traditionally this is made with grated Kefalotiri Cheese which is actually sold in some large supermarkets in Australia nowadays. But I've been making this with parmesan for years.
- Stock powder - I like using Vegeta or chicken or vegetable stock powder to flavour the white sauce because it adds more flavour than plain salt and there's a LOT of sauce! But plain salt will do just fine too. (I would probably add a bit more cheese!)
- Panko - Panko is totally not Greek, it's Japanese breadcrumbs. But I practically always use panko instead of normal breadcrumbs because the pieces are bigger so you get way better CRUNCH! Normal breadcrumbs totally ok.Â
- Eggplant - the salting removes excess liquid so the eggplant doesn't become soggy and make the moussaka watery once assembled. Also sometimes eggplant can be bitter and this removes the bitterness.
- Some recipes fry, I prefer to bake because you use far less oil. But the quickest way to cook a big load of eggplant like in this recipe is on the BBQ - no need to salt if you do this, just brush with oil and cook on medium high 3 minutes or so on each side until softened!
- FREEZING: Cook per recipe, then allow to cool. Cover tightly with cling wrap then freeze. To reheat, thaw then reheat at 180C/350F for 25 minutes uncovered or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out hot.
- Nutrition per serving. Far lower carbs than Lasagna!!
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
587g
Calories
434cal
(22%)
Carbohydrates
20g
(7%)
Protein
32g
(64%)
Fat
24g
(37%)
Saturated Fat
10g
(50%)
Cholesterol
158mg
(53%)
Sodium
1317mg
(55%)
Potassium
894mg
(26%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
7g
(14%)
Vitamin A
540IU
(11%)
Vitamin C
6.9mg
(8%)
Calcium
151mg
(15%)
Iron
4.1mg
(23%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 434 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 587g | |
| Calories | 434cal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 20g | 7% |
| Protein | 32g | 64% |
| Fat | 24g | 37% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 158mg | 53% |
| Sodium | 1317mg | 55% |
| Potassium | 894mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 540IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 6.9mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 151mg | 15% |
| Iron | 4.1mg | 23% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
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Overall Rating
5.0
726 reviews
Excellent
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