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Moussaka

From: littlecookingtips.com

moussaka.jpg

Prep
 1:00
Cook
 0:30
Yields
 4 Servings

Moussaka is by far the most popular Greek dish worldwide. It's a very tasty casserole, and one of the top Greek comfort foods.

Ingredients

Middle layer:

  • 250 g ground beef
  • 300 g (1 big) tomato, grated
  • 80 g (1 small) green capsicum (or carrots), finely chopped
  • 140 g (1 middle sized) onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 125 ml (.5 cup) wine
  • 0.33 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 125 ml (.5 cup) olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Base layer:

  • 220 g potato, cut into thin slices
  • 180 g eggplant, cut into thin slices
  • 250 ml (1 cup) olive oil

Top layer:

  • 30 g (4 tablespoons) flour
  • 50 g tablespoons margarine or butter
  • 375 ml (1.5 cups) milk in room temperature
  • 0.25 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 40 g Graviera cheese, grated
  • 1 salt

Instructions

Faster version

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 C.
  2. Slice the eggplant. Add it to a bowl, add generously salt and mix well. Set it aside to let the salt extract the bitter juice.
  3. Slice the potatoes. Cover all the bottom of the baking pan with potatoes. Spread olive oil then add salt and pepper. Bake it in the oven for 20 mins.
  4. Chop the onions, garlic, and bell pepper.
  5. Add the olive oil in a medium-sized pan, on medium to high heat. Once hot add the onion and the capsicum. Saute for 2 minutes.
  6. Add ground beef. Continuously stir and cook until all moisture evaporates (about 3 minutes).
  7. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, the cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes
  8. Add the wine, and tomato. Cook about 10 minutes, until all moisture evaporates. While it's cooking take care of the eggplant then move to bechamel sauce.
  9. After the potatoes spent 20 minutes in the oven, take it out. Pour away all liquid juice from the eggplant bowl. Squeeze eggplant to the bottom of the bowl to squeeze a bit more juice. Add slices of eggplant on top of the potatoes, add olive oil, salt, and pepper. Put it back to the oven for another 20 mins. Then take out of the oven.
  10. Prepare the bechamel sauce.
  11. Add beef on top of the eggplant, then add bechamel, and sprinkle cheese on top of it.
  12. Put it to the oven for another 20 minutes.

Slow full version

Middle layer:

  1. Add the olive oil in a medium-sized pan, on medium to high heat. Once hot add the onion and the capsicum. Saute for 2 minutes.
  2. Add ground beef. Continuously stir and cook until all moisture evaporates (about 3 minutes).
  3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, the cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes
  4. Add the wine. Continue cooking for 2 minutes more
  5. Add the tomato. Cook about 10 minutes, until all moisture evaporates.

Base layer:

  1. Add the olive oil in a medium size pan, put it on high heat.
  2. Fry the potatoes for about 3-4 minutes (turn once). Don't to fry the potatoes all the way through. They need to be soft but not completely done.
  3. Remove them from the pan and let them drain on paper towel.
  4. Then fry the eggplants for 2 minutes (turn once). Don't to fry the eggplants all the way through. They need to be soft but not completely done.
  5. Remove from the pan and let them drain on a paper towel as well.

Top layer:

  1. Melt the butter in a small pot on medium to high heat.
  2. Slowly add the flour, while constantly whisking. The butter must be completely absorbed by the flour, forming a thick mixture.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium and slowly pour the milk into the pot, constantly whisking.
  4. Add the nutmeg and the salt.
  5. Cook, until you get a not too thick., creamy result.

Assembly:

  1. Put the fried potatoes in the bottom of a small baking pan, then add on top of them the fried eggplants.
  2. On top of the eggplants spread the ground beef.
  3. Pour the bechamel sauce into the baking pan on top of the ground beef.
  4. Sprinkle with the cheese.
  5. Baking. Put the baking pan in the oven, in the middle rack at 180°C for 50 minutes.
  6. Remove the pan from the oven and leave aside for at least 30 minutes to chill before serving.
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