Eggplant

Moderately sized eggplants, 3-4 pieces, cut lengthwise into slices one centimeter thick. Place the slices on a board and brush both sides with olive oil. After that, sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper on one side. Using Thursday or smoked salt gives excellent results. Now place the eggplants on a baking sheet and place under the broiler in the oven. The eggplants should be deeply browned on both sides, removed and allowed to cool. If there is no grill, 20 minutes at 180C will also solve the problem.

If you fry eggplant in a frying pan, you will have to first sprinkle them with salt, stack them in a colander and after half an hour squeeze them well, otherwise they will absorb so much oil that moussaka will float.

Meat

This is where things get more complicated. Most sources insist on lamb, although there are authoritative opinions in favor of veal, and even a mixture of veal and pork. To my taste, young lamb is better suited to the range of spices used in moussaka. They shade the lamb, but they slaughter the veal, leaving only one texture. But it's up to you. And there is nothing seditious in choosing cows and pigs, the Greeks will not whistle with four fingers, the Arabs will whistle, and the Jews don’t care at all, because moussaka deeply not kosher.

In any case, the meat should be minced. It is best to chop it yourself, but a meat grinder with a large grate will also work. Even better is what in Russian cuisine was called “ take a plateful of leftover roast and chop it up nicely" If you regularly have leftovers, this is a great way to recycle.

Tomato sauce

The Greeks use perasti - we more often know it by the Italian name passata. It’s easier to take the finished product, but who’s stopping you from peeling the tomatoes, chopping them finely and boiling them with wine and herbs? Yes, no one bothers. Moreover, you still have to add wine and herbs to passata or tomato puree.

Cheese sauce

Essentially, this is a classic bechamel with eggs and grated cheese added. Once again about cheese. Traditionally - kefalotyri, but you won’t see it every step of the way. Pecorino, the same sheep's and firm variety that is now available almost everywhere, would be an excellent substitute.

If not everyone remembers how to make bechamel, then melt a quarter stick of butter in a frying pan, stir in 3 tablespoons of wheat flour, rub with the back of a fork until smooth and gradually pour in half a liter of hot milk, add salt and grated nutmeg - enough a lot, at least half a teaspoon, boil everything together and rub through a sieve. Let cool slightly and stir in two well-beaten eggs and a cup of finely grated cheese.

Second half

Half of your moussaka is already ready, by the way. The eggplants are baked and there is cheese sauce. Let's go further.
You need to take a large heavy frying pan or saucepan, put it on the fire, pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, let it heat up and add a couple of finely chopped onions. Brown the onion thoroughly over medium heat, then add half a head or 4-5 cloves of garlic, also finely chopped. Immediately sprinkle a teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and oregano on top ( oregano) and then simmer for a couple of minutes.

You need about half a kilo of minced meat, whatever it is made of. Place it in the frying pan, raising the heat to high. If the minced meat is from a meat grinder, then gradually break it into small pieces with a fork and fry until well browned, all the liquid should evaporate.

Now comes the tomato puree, passata, perasti, etc. A cup is enough, and pour the same cup of red wine. Pour both cups into the frying pan, stir well, reduce heat to low, and keep uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Don’t dry it out, but don’t leave it semi-liquid either, otherwise it will be difficult to serve, and moussaka must keep its shape. Remove the finished meat from the heat and stir in another handful of chopped fresh parsley.

Assembly

Take a ceramic or glass baking dish. Place a third of the eggplant slices on the bottom. On them - half the minced meat with tomato. Again a layer of eggplants, again minced meat and at the very top - the last batch of eggplants. Now pour the cheese sauce over everything and place in the oven, already preheated to 180C ( 160С if with convection) and bake for ¾ hour or until the top crust is deeply browned.

After removing the moussaka from the oven, do not serve it immediately, no matter how much you are pushed under the arm - everything will fall apart and it will be ugly. Moussaka It should set like crème caramel or cheesecake. In addition, it picks up odors inside and becomes tastier and brighter. Not in the refrigerator, of course, but she should be given at least 20 minutes. Don't worry, it won't get cold at all.

Greek moussaka with eggplant - a recipe for a classic casserole with meat and vegetables. This is one of the best eggplant dishes, popular in the Balkan countries and the Middle East. I recently learned about the popularity of moussaka, and this was the first time I tried it as a dish of Greek cuisine. It is very tasty, filling and so homemade. Layers of meat, eggplant, and potatoes are combined by sauce, creating an interesting composition of taste.

How is moussaka prepared?

Moussaka is often compared to the Italian lasagna casserole. However, unlike the latter, moussaka is prepared exclusively from meat and vegetables. Paste and dough are not used in moussaka recipes. In Greek, Moldavian, Romanian, Serbian and Bosnian cuisine, moussaka recipes can differ significantly.

The dish may include not only eggplants and meat (lamb or beef). Vegetables often include tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, onions and even cabbage. Various spices are added: garlic, black and red pepper, bay leaf, nutmeg, mint. Parsley and dill are often used - usually sprinkled on the finished dish.

My Greek moussaka with eggplant is as close as possible to the traditional Greek recipe. Only instead of lamb I used beef, and also added homemade cheese and herbs. Instead of olive oil, you can use sunflower oil. However, it is olive oil that gives that traditional taste.

You can choose not only eggplants as a vegetable base for moussaka. It is sometimes prepared, for example, only with tomatoes. In my opinion, moussaka with eggplant is a classic. Greek moussaka with potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants is completely balanced in taste and quite filling.

Classic moussaka with eggplant and potatoes takes about one and a half to two hours to prepare. The casserole will spend about an hour in the oven, but before that all the ingredients will have to be prepared separately. It is also worth using the correct casserole dish - tall and roomy. It is important to leave at least 1.5 cm to the edge so that the moussaka sauce does not leak out during baking.

Cut the eggplants into circles or strips, add salt and leave to drain. After 30 minutes, rinse them well and dry. Roll each piece in flour and fry in oil.
Grind the beef and onion in a blender or meat grinder and fry. Add two finely chopped or grated tomatoes. Season with mint, nutmeg and pepper, and salt.
Melt butter in a saucepan, add chopped garlic and flour. Add milk in portions, stirring well. Let the sauce boil and turn it off immediately. If there are any lumps, use a blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cut potatoes and tomatoes into circles, break cheese into small pieces. Lay out alternating layers: potatoes, eggplants, meat. Spread each layer with sauce, place tomatoes and cheese on top. Cover the pan with foil to help the potatoes cook faster.
Bake the moussaka covered for about 50 minutes, then open the foil and let it brown. Allow the finished casserole to cool and sprinkle with chopped herbs.

This dish must be allowed to stand for about a quarter of an hour. It is best to serve moussaka directly in the form in which it was baked. Additional sauces are not needed for it, but fresh vegetables will come in handy.

Casseroles are an integral part of everyday and festive feasts. They come from vegetables and meat, have an amazing variety of flavors and are easy to prepare. One of the most magnificent casseroles is moussaka, a traditional Greek dish. Let's look at some interesting recipes for tender casseroles.

Fragrant moussaka is an incredible combination of flavors of vegetables and juicy minced meat in the most delicate sauce. Initially, moussaka began to be prepared in Greece, so, first of all, we will prepare a classic dish.

So, for preparation you will need:

For the sauce:

Typically, all ingredients are fried to significantly reduce the cooking time in the oven. It also prevents excess juice from escaping from the vegetables during baking.

So, let's start preparing the moussaka:

Wash and dry the beef (we use only the pulp). Then cut the pulp into pieces and turn into minced meat.

Place the cooked ground beef in a frying pan with oil and fry it.

Chop the onion, add to the minced meat, as well as salt, spices, and tomatoes.

Take the vegetables, rinse and dry. Cut the peeled potatoes into slices, and the eggplants into slices (soak the vegetables in a saline solution for 7-10 minutes).

Place the dried eggplants and potatoes on the deco and bake at 170⁰C for 20 minutes. During baking, you will need to turn the vegetables over so that they brown on both sides.

While the minced meat with tomatoes is stewed and the vegetables are baked, prepare the sauce:

Add the butter to the frying pan, and when it melts, add the flour and fry, stirring constantly. It is important to ensure that no lumps arise.
Then pour in warm milk very slowly, stirring all the ingredients vigorously.
Beat the eggs with a whisk, pour into the sauce, as if driving them in. Then add spices.

Now all that remains is to assemble the moussaka and bake it:

Grease a ceramic mold with butter and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Add a layer of ground beef and tomatoes.
Now it’s the turn of potatoes and eggplants (you can sprinkle them with cheese).
And finally, repeat all the layers of ingredients again and pour in the sauce.

Place the dish in the oven at 170⁰C for 1.5 hours.
Before serving, garnish the dish with chopped herbs.

To prepare moussaka, you can use various spices that will add special flavor notes to the dish. You will need: oregano, sweet paprika, cinnamon, turmeric, basil, coriander.

Moussaka from Yulia Vysotskaya, recipe

Yulia Vysotskaya is a real sorceress of the culinary world, so it is simply impossible to ignore her version of preparing moussaka.

For moussaka, Yulia Vysotskaya uses the following set of products:

beef - 750 g;
red onion - 200 g;
eggplants - 3 pcs.;
tomato paste - 30 g;
greens (mint + parsley) - 2 bunches;
butter - 30 g butter + 50 g olive;
Mixture of spices (red and black pepper, paprika, cumin, salt) - to taste;
cheese - 120 g;
milk - 0.6 l;
flour - 50 g;
nutmeg - 5-7 g.

To prepare moussaka, it is permissible to use only minced meat prepared with your own hands. Store-bought minced meat may contain too much fat and tendons, which will significantly reduce the taste of the finished dish.

How to cook:

Cut the eggplants lengthwise into slices. Place them in a container, pour oil over them, add a little salt, and then fry.
Turn the meat into minced meat in a way convenient for you.
Cut the onion into rings and fry in a mixture of oils. Season the onions with spices and add tomato paste at the end.
Fry the minced meat, onion and chopped herbs for 15 minutes.

Prepare the sauce:

Fry flour and butter in a frying pan.
Pour in the preheated milk little by little and stir.
Once boiling, add grated Parmesan or other cheese.

Now let's start assembling the casserole:

Place eggplants on the bottom of the mold, and also form sides from them.
Lay out the minced meat, pour in the sauce.
Place the moussaka in the oven for 45 minutes.
If desired, sprinkle the dish with cheese 5 minutes before the end of cooking.
Once cooked, serve the moussaka with mint leaves.

Yulia Vysotskaya advises cutting vegetables into slices of about 7 mm, while it is better to make potato rings thinner, and tomatoes and eggplants thicker. You can cut all other ingredients into cubes.

Moussaka with eggplant and potatoes, recipe

Traditional moussaka is prepared with juicy beef. But what if you are a vegetarian?! This is not a reason to refuse such a delicious dish, because there is a vegetarian version of moussaka.

What you will need:

Cut the eggplants into thin slices, soak in salted water for 7 minutes and rinse with water.
Also cut potatoes and zucchini into slices and sprinkle with spices.
Cut the onion into half rings, the carrot into rings or strips.
Remove the core from the pepper and cut it into slices.
Also cut the tomatoes into slices and finely chop the garlic.

When all the vegetables are ready, let's start assembling the moussaka:

Place the first layer of potatoes and garlic in a baking dish.
The second layer is eggplant, zucchini and onions.
The third layer is carrots, the fourth is peppers and tomatoes.
Season each layer with oil, spices and salt.
Then pour in the broth and bake the moussaka for 50 minutes.

In vegetarian moussaka, the main component is eggplant, and the other ingredients can be different: broccoli, pumpkin, asparagus, cabbage, celery, mushrooms.

Moussaka with eggplant and minced meat in the oven, recipe

Greek meat moussaka is made from beef pulp. But you won't regret it if you replace the beef with lamb. And if you also add potatoes to the recipe, you will get a wonderful hearty dish.

For this delicacy, prepare the following ingredients:

How to cook:

Wash the lamb and place it in a meat grinder.
Chop the onion, fry, add minced meat and continue frying for 20 minutes.
Add the tomatoes to the minced meat, add salt and simmer for 15 minutes.

Soak the eggplant slices in salted water. Then wash them, dry them and fry until half cooked.
Cut the potatoes into circles and boil in salted water for 7 minutes.

Take a mold, grease it with oil, place the prepared products into it in layers: minced potatoes, peppers, eggplants.
Now make the sauce: fry the melted butter and flour, pour in the milk and cook until the sauce thickens. Now all that remains is to season the sauce with spices. If desired, you can add 30-40 g of processed cheese.

Pour the sauce into the mold, sprinkle grated cheese on top.
Prepare the moussaka in the oven for 40 minutes.

Video, moussaka

Video recipe for Greek moussaka:

Moussaka in a slow cooker, recipe

You can prepare moussaka using a slow cooker. This way you will save a lot of time and effort, but it will turn out just as juicy and aromatic as if prepared in the traditional way. The Bulgarian moussaka turns out to be especially tender, the recipe for which we will consider below.

Prepare foods:

potatoes - 1 kg;
olive oil - 60 ml;
tomatoes - 6 pcs.;
paprika - a pinch;
hot water - a glass;
beef - 650 g;
onion - 2 medium onions;
garlic - 3-4 cloves;
thyme and savory - 5 g each;
sour cream - 6 tbsp. l.;
egg - 2 pcs.;
soda - 2 g;

How to cook:

Peel the tomatoes and potatoes and cut them into slices. Chop the onion and garlic.

Pour oil into the multicooker bowl, add onion, and turn on the “Fry” mode.

After 5-7 minutes, add minced meat to the onion, without changing the set mode, cook the dish for another 15 minutes.
Now add tomatoes, garlic, as well as spices and salt to the minced meat.
Place the potatoes, pour in water and turn the multicooker to “Stew” mode for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs.
In a separate container, combine soda and sour cream, leave for 5 minutes.

Mix sour cream into the eggs and pour the sauce into the slow cooker.
Cook the moussaka in the “Bake” mode for half an hour.

Instead of the “Baking” mode, you can use the “Multi-cook” mode if your kitchen appliance has this function.

Delicious simple moussaka recipe

This simple mushroom moussaka is useful for any occasion: for a quick dinner, or for meeting and treating uninvited guests.

Products:

How to cook:

Place the meat, onion and garlic cloves in a blender and prepare the minced meat.
Cut the mushrooms into slices.
Salt the minced meat and season with spices.
Boil small cabbage inflorescences in salted boiling water for 8 minutes.
Place half of the boiled cabbage in the pan.
Place the minced meat on top, and then the mushrooms.
Next is the rest of the cabbage.
Beat eggs in a bowl, add grated cheese and milk. Add a pinch of salt and some spices to the sauce, pour it over the food in the mold.
Bake in the oven for 55 minutes and serve.

Moussaka with rice, recipe

There is an interesting version of the casserole - Armenian moussaka. Thanks to rice, it turns out more satisfying, but no less juicy and appetizing.

Products:

The cooking process is simple:

Cut the meat pulp into small cubes.
Peel the eggplants, cut into slices, soak in water and salt.
Cut the onion into cubes.
Rinse the rice at least 5 times in water and boil until half cooked.
In heated oil, fry the meat and onions for 10 minutes.
In another pan, fry the dried eggplants. Then place the vegetables on a paper towel to remove any remaining grease.
Mix rice and fried meat and add salt. Don't forget the spices.
Cut the tomatoes into slices and chop the prepared greens.

Now start assembling the casserole:

Place the eggplants in the pan, then the meat and rice.
Place the eggplants again, and then the tomatoes.
Place the dish in the oven for 20 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle the dish with cheese and herbs.

Moussaka can be called one of the most interesting dishes. It is prepared from available ingredients, and its taste can be compared to the most exquisite food. Therefore, we recommend you this dish, which will add variety and new taste to your menu!

Dishes that embody the national characteristics of a particular country amaze with their taste combinations. This also applies to such a dish as Greek moussaka with eggplant, the recipe of which is sought after by any housewife who has once tasted it.

How to cook moussaka in Greek?

To prepare the Greek dish moussaka, you need to stock up on a certain set of ingredients and follow the necessary processes:

The main components of the dish include minced meat, eggplant, tomatoes, cheese, and bechamel sauce, which is made from milk, flour, and butter.
A layer of eggplant is used as a base, on which the remaining components are held. They are cut with or without skin. They are then fried or baked. Before doing this, it is recommended to soak the eggplants in salt and leave for 20 minutes to get rid of the bitterness.
Minced meat is fried with onions and tomatoes. Then wine and spices are added as desired.
The highlight of the dish is the bechamel sauce. To prepare it, melt the butter, sift the flour into it, pour in the milk, beat in the eggs and cook the sauce until thick.
To create Greek moussaka with eggplant, the recipe involves laying out layers. The first of them is eggplants, then comes grated cheese, minced meat, again eggplants and cheese, sauce is poured on top.
The dish is baked at 180 degrees for a quarter of an hour, then the same time without foil.

Moussaka - a classic Greek recipe

There are several ways to create Greek moussaka with eggplants; the classic recipe includes ingredients such as blueberries, minced meat, tomatoes, cheese and bechamel sauce. As an alternative, you can use recipes with the addition of other types of vegetables: potatoes, zucchini. They are also laid in layers, creating a base for minced meat and tomatoes.

Ingredients:

eggplants – 2 kg;
minced meat – 1.5 kg;
onions – 2 pcs.;
tomatoes – 3 pcs.;
cheese – 250 g;
oregano – 1 tbsp. l.;
cinnamon – 1 tsp;
tomato paste – 2 tbsp. l.;
butter – 6 tbsp. l.;
garlic – 4 cloves;
wine – 250 ml;

For the sauce:

butter – 6 tbsp. l.;
flour – 7 tbsp. l.;
milk – 1 l.;
eggs – 3 pcs.

Preparation

Cut the eggplants.
Fry the minced meat with onion and garlic, add spices.
Add tomatoes, pasta, wine.
Make béchamel sauce.
Lay out the layers, pour in the sauce and bake for half an hour.

How to cook moussaka with eggplant and minced meat?

To simplify the long process of preparing the dish, some housewives prepare a simplified version - moussaka with minced meat and eggplant. The dish is not inferior in satiety and piquancy to those made in the classical way. To successfully turn out a simple moussaka prepared in Greek style with eggplants, the recipe allows for the use of fewer ingredients.

Ingredients:

minced meat – 0.5 kg;
onions – 2 pcs.;
eggplants – 5 pcs.;
tomatoes – 5 pcs.;
eggs – 6 pcs.;
sour cream – 3 tbsp. l.;
cheese – 250 g;
spices.

Preparation

Cut the eggplants and fry them, do the same with the minced meat and onions.
Chop the tomatoes, grate the cheese.
Make a sauce from whisked eggs and sour cream.
Lay everything out in layers and pour over the sauce.
Bake the moussaka for 40 minutes.

Greek moussaka with eggplant and potatoes

An alternative dish would be moussaka with potatoes and eggplant. Depending on individual preferences, you can replace eggplants with potatoes or combine these two types of vegetables. For minced meat, you can use a mixture of lamb and beef (this is considered a classic option), but you can also replace lamb with pork.

Ingredients:

eggplants – 4 pcs.;
potatoes – 2 pcs.;
onion – 1 pc.;
tomatoes – 4 pcs.;
minced meat – 0.5 kg;
garlic – 2 cloves;
tomato paste – 1 tbsp. l.;
cheese – 70 g;
seasonings

Preparation

Fry the eggplants and potatoes, and in another frying pan add the minced meat combined with onions and garlic. Add tomatoes.
Lay out in layers, pour over tomato paste, sprinkle with cheese.
Bake the moussaka in the oven for half an hour.

Greek moussaka with eggplant and zucchini

Another popular variation of the dish is moussaka with zucchini and eggplant. It can be laid out in the traditional way, one layer on top of another, or you can create a miniature version of the dish by separating the eggplants in half and creating boats from them. They are filled with the selected filling of vegetables, minced meat and cheese.

Ingredients:

minced meat – 0.5 kg;
onions – 2 pcs.;
eggplants – 4 pcs.;
zucchini – 3 pcs.;
eggs – 6 pcs.;
sour cream – 3 tbsp. l.;
spices.

Preparation

Fry the minced meat with onions, and in another pan - eggplants and zucchini.
Lay everything out in layers, top with eggs mixed with sour cream and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake the moussaka for 40 minutes.

Greek moussaka with béchamel sauce – recipe

Different recipes for preparing the dish contain certain types of dressings, which are poured over the layers of food on top. This could be eggs beaten with sour cream or tomato paste diluted in water. But the most popular option, corresponding to the classic recipe, is Greek moussaka with bechamel sauce.

Ingredients:

eggplants – 5 pcs.;
tomatoes – 2 pcs.;
onion – 1 pc.;
cheese – 200 g;
minced meat – 300 g;
flour – 2 tbsp. l.;
butter – 50 g;
milk – 2 glasses;
eggs – 2 pcs.

Preparation

Fry the eggplants.
Fry the minced meat with onions, then add the tomatoes.
Make the sauce by heating the oil on the stove, adding milk, flour, eggs, and bringing until thickened.
Lay out the layers, pour over the sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake the moussaka for 1 hour.

Moussaka with rice and eggplant

In the cuisines of different countries there are certain varieties of the dish. So, in Bulgaria, minced meat is replaced with rice. In some cases, housewives prefer to prepare such a hearty variation of the dish, which combines these two special components, resulting in moussaka with rice and eggplant, and minced meat.

Ingredients:

eggplants – 1 kg;
onions – 3 pcs.;
rice – 100 g;
eggs – 3 pcs.;
flour – 2 tbsp. l.;
milk – 1.5 cups.

Preparation

Fry the eggplants. Rinse the rice.
Fry the onion, then add rice to the pan, fry lightly and add water. Simmer until the rice absorbs it.
Fry the minced meat and combine it with rice.
Make the sauce by beating eggs, milk and flour.
Lay out the layers, pour in the sauce, bake for 45 minutes.

Lenten Greek moussaka with eggplant – recipe

The dish will be a great solution not only for meat lovers, but also for those who are fans of a vegetable diet. In the latter case, vegetarian moussaka with eggplant would be an excellent option. In this recipe, it is possible to replace meat with rice; it is possible to add fresh boiled or canned beans.

Ingredients:

eggplants – 3 pcs.;
tomatoes – 3 pcs.;
rice – 1 glass;
garlic – 2 cloves;
tomato juice – 1 glass;
greenery.

Preparation

Fry the eggplants and tomatoes separately.
Boil the rice, add garlic to it.
Lay everything out in several layers, pour in the juice, and bake the vegetable moussaka with eggplant for half an hour.

Greek moussaka made with tomatoes and eggplants

There is a very common combination of vegetables that is used for a dish like Greek moussaka. Tomatoes and eggplants combine incredibly well; they can be found everywhere in any recipe; the component is used as a base, which can be supplemented with zucchini and mushrooms to taste.

Ingredients:

minced meat – 0.5 kg;
cheese – 70 g;
eggplants – 1 kg;
tomatoes – 300 g;
onions – 2 pcs.;
garlic – 4 cloves;
butter – 30 g;
milk – 300 ml;
flour – 1 tbsp. l.

Preparation

Fry the minced meat with onion and garlic.
Stew the tomatoes and combine with the minced meat.
Prepare a sauce from milk, flour, butter.
Lay out the layers, pour in the sauce, bake for 40 minutes.

Moussaka with chicken and eggplant

When creating Greek moussaka with eggplant, any minced meat is included in its composition. It can consist not only of lamb and beef meat, but also of pork and turkey. An extremely successful option is considered to be moussaka with eggplant, which includes chicken meat; the dish is dietary and low-calorie.

Ingredients:

eggplants – 1 kg;
onions – 2 pcs.;
tomatoes – 3 pcs.;
butter – 60 g;
flour – 4 tbsp. l.;
milk – 0.5 l;
eggs – 2 pcs.;
cheese – 200 g;
chicken – 0.5 kg.

Preparation

Cut and fry the eggplants.
Boil the chicken, cut it.
Fry onions and tomatoes, add to meat.
Make béchamel sauce.
Lay out in layers, pour over the sauce, sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 45 minutes.