Moussaka
Moussaka
10
servings1
hour20
minutesMoussaka is a great Greek Classic casserole dish which combines lamb and eggplant to best advantage. And with all the Mediterranean flavours Moussaka is overlaid with, how can you miss?
The preparation of Moussaka has a reputation for being somewhat time-consuming, but we have streamlined the dish by roasting the eggplant, as opposed to frying it, making the dish much lighter yet every bit as delicious. Watch how fast your moussaka will disappear! Nothing beats a good lamb dish, and there’s no need to buy an expensive cut for moussaka, ground lamb is quite affordable.
You can now enjoy the dairy free version of the classic, and share it with a crowd, as it tastes even better the next day. For a more dramatic presentation, choose 8 small eggplants, prepare the eggplant and the sauce as instructed, and assemble small individual moussaka servings in ramekins, layering in the order given.
Ingredients
4 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise 1/3 inch thick
Vegetable oil spray
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large onions, quartered
12 large garlic cloves
1 large bunch flat parsley
1 large bunch mint, leaves only
1 small bunch cilantro, tough stems discarded
Around 1.2Kg lean ground lamb
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons curry
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons allspice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Ground pepper to taste
1 cup vegan sour cream
Directions
- Preheat oven to 230°C..
- Line 2 cookie sheets with foil.
- Spray heavily with vegetable spray.
- Arrange the eggplant slices and spray heavily again.
- Bake 20 minutes, or a little longer, until the eggplant slices are nicely brown, but no longer or they will dry out.
- Transfer the eggplant to a tray and set aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C..
- Meanwhile, make the filling: Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet.
- In a food processor, coarsely grind the onion, garlic, parsley, mint and cilantro.
- Add the ground mixture to the oil, and sauté 2-3 minutes.
- Add the lamb and cook 2-3 more minutes, breaking up the lamb as you go to make sure it gets evenly browned.
- Add the remaining ingredients and cook 2-3 more minutes.
- Assemble the moussaka: Spray a 20×30cm lasagna pan with vegetable spray.
- Cover with a layer of eggplant (use a third of the slices).
- Top with half the filling.
- Top with another third of the slices.
- Top with the rest of the filling.
- Top with the remaining slices.
- Spray the whole top with vegetable spray.
- Bake 35 minutes.
- Let the dish rest about 10 minutes, then cut into squares.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Variations. Here are just a few suggestions:
– Artichoke Hearts or bottoms. Add in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
– Mushrooms. Add at the beginning of cooking.
– Tiny potatoes: Add in the last 30 minutes of cooking
– Tomatoes: add a large chopped onion and 2 large diced tomatoes at the beginning of cooking. No mustard
