Moussaka
Moussaka is a Greek casserole with eggplant, potato, tomato sauce, and béchamel sauce. It is a delicious dish that I have been eating since I was young. My father is Greek, so a traditional Dutch meal of meat, potatoes, and vegetables wasn't often on our table.
- 600 g potato slices
- 2 aubergine (‘s)
- 1 ui
- 1 clove of garlic
- 300 g minced meat
- 400 g diced tomatoes
- 70 g tomato puree
- 1 bay leaf
- half a teaspoon of cinnamon
- 2 tl oregano
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 no
- 25 g flour
- 25 g butter
- 300 ml milk
- grated cheese
- pinch of salt and pepper
- Chop the onion and finely chop the garlic.
- Pour a splash of oil into a large pan and sauté the onion and garlic over low heat.
- After about 5 minutes, add the minced meat and fry it until crumbly.
- Next, add the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, then add the rest of the ingredients for the filling. Let the sauce simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut the eggplant and potatoes into thin slices.
- Sprinkle the aubergine slices generously with salt and place them in a colander. Let them sit for 15-30 minutes.
- Rinse the aubergine slices under the tap with water. Then pat them dry with a clean tea towel.
- Pour a splash of oil into a sauté pan and fry the potato slices until they are brown (about 15 minutes). Let them drain on paper towels.
- Pour a splash of oil into the same pan. Fry the aubergine slices until golden brown on both sides. Let the aubergine slices drain on paper towels as well.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Once the butter has melted, add the flour. Mix well and let simmer for about 1 minute.
- Next, add the milk little by little, stirring well with a whisk throughout. Once the sauce has the right consistency (not too runny), turn off the heat and add the egg and the grated cheese. Mix everything together thoroughly and season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Grease an oven dish. Cover the bottom with potato slices. Then a layer of the meat sauce. Next, a layer of aubergine. Finish with a layer of potato slices and pour the béchamel sauce over it. Sprinkle a little grated cheese over the top.
- Bake the moussaka for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
What is moussaka?
Moussaka is a traditional dish from Greece that is somewhat reminiscent of lasagna, but with eggplant instead of lasagna sheets. The base often consists of layers of fried eggplant, potato, seasoned ground meat, and a creamy béchamel sauce. Everything goes into the oven until it is beautifully golden brown and the flavors have fully infused.
Making moussaka doesn't have to be difficult.
We make this moussaka with ingredients you can simply find in the supermarket. It takes a bit of work with the different layers, but it is more than worth the effort. And the best part is: you can prepare the moussaka in advance and pop it in the oven at a later time. So you can still enjoy moussaka on a weekday. It is also very handy if you are having guests over, because then you can prepare the entire dish beforehand.
