Aubergine and Lamb Moussaka with Salad | Greek | Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's best to eat with moussaka? ›

Allow the moussaka to settle for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Serve the moussaka with a chunky tomato, cucumber, parsley and mint salad and crusty bread.

Moussaka (Greek Eggplant Lasagna)

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.

Many wonder what the difference is between moussaka and lasagna, and it's quite simple! Lasagna is made with layers of pasta, while moussaka is made with layers of vegetables. There are variations of eggplant moussaka, some use potatoes or even zucchini squash.

If the sauce looks to be too liquid, as a thickening agent, I use corn flour, allowing the filling to absorb as much liquid as possible. When layering the moussaka, start with the minced beef filling as a base then eggplant before adding a second layer of eggplant. Top it with bechamel and grated parmesan.

Moussaka cuisine takes its name from the Arabic word musaqqa'ah. The word means cold or dipped in liquid. Greek and Turkish foodies adopted the name when the Arabs introduced it to the Mediterranean. Turks and Greeks may have agreed on this Arabic name because moussaka is best served warm or cold.

People like Moussaka because it tastes like an exotic version of lasagna (without the pasta). Also, it is extremely healthy because it has all the green vegetables. It takes around 2 to 3 hours to cook and, depending on the size of the pot or casserole, it can easily serve 6 people.

moussaka, dish of baked lamb and eggplant prepared throughout the Balkans and Middle East but most closely associated with Greece and Turkey. In the Greek version, eggplants are sliced and fried lightly in olive oil and then layered in a casserole with a mixture of ground lamb, onions, tomato sauce, and seasonings.

Yet, moussaka - a combination of potatoes, eggplants, zucchinis and minced meat in a rich, tomato sauce - is a much healthier choice than a highly processed, white bread sandwich.

It adds a wonderful texture and flavour to the lasagna. We have received requests to make our lasagna without the egg because it just seems so foreign to some people. That's no problem. We don't mind omitting it; but, if you enjoy authentic food, I would encourage you to give it a chance.

Does moussaka contain onion? ›

Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Measure the spices and tomato paste, and have the beef and tomatoes on hand. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and gently cook the onions until translucent and start to turn golden, about 8-10 minutes.

Tip in the onion along with a pinch of salt and fry gently for 10-12 mins or until softened and turning translucent. Add the garlic, oregano, cinnamon, chilli and bay cooking for a further min. Return the lamb to the pan and pour in the red wine, bring to a bubble and reduce the wine by half.

It is about the only thing that can ruin this dish is having too much moisture and it being a horrible runny mess although, it will taste just fine. The bechamel sauce needs to be thicker than normal and also contain egg yolks which make it set like a savoury custard.

A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture.

When looking for a wine to pair with moussaka, dry, dark-fruit greek reds are a good place to start. Savoury and rich wine styles will also be a good match.

Moussaka is the most well known greek food around the world. Greeks put its origins to the period when Arabs brought the eggplant although Arabs consider it as a greek dish.

Start with a whole pita, then garnish generously with some hummus. Add a serving of the shakshuka, then garnish with the tomato salad. Slightly fold it in a way you can hold it with your hands, and eat immediately!

You'll find moussaka, with its chunky layers of deeply savoury, sweetly spiced meat, silky aubergines and creamy bechamel sauce, on the menu at every whitewashed tourist taverna. No surprise, then, that it's perceived by many visitors as Greece's national dish.