Ingredients
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3-4 eggplants
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1 kg potatoes
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500 gr ground beefor lamb
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2 large onionsfinely diced
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2 cloves garlicminced
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2 tbs chicken powder
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1/4 cup fresh parsleychopped
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1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
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1/4 tsp. ground allspice
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1 cup tomato pureeor crushed tomatoes
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2 tbsp tomato paste
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1/2 tsp Sugar
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Salt and pepperto taste
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2 cups plain breadcrumbs
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2 Eggslightly beaten for bechamel
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1 cup grated Kefalotyrior Parmesan cheese
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1/2cup Water
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Bechamel Sauce:
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1 cup Salted Butter
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1 cup Flour
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4 cups Milkwarm
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1 pinch ground nutmeg
Directions
Moussaka is as Greek as food can get! There are so many different ways to make it! Some like it with potatoes, eggplant, and zucchini while others like it just with eggplant. But one thing that never should change is the nutmeg on top!
This recipe is a creamy delicious moussaka made of spiced meat (beef or lamb) cooked in tomato sauce and then layered with fried eggplant and béchamel sauce. This is one of the ultimate traditional Greek dishes.
How to Prep the Vegetables:
- Peel the potatoes and and slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick slices and put them in separate large shallow trays.
- Drizzle with a bit of oil, season with salt and pepper and roast them in a preheated oven at 400 degrees until they are just done and have a bit of color. They should not get too dark or soft, just cooked enough so that they no longer crunch.
- When eggplant and potatoes have finished cooking, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
How to Make the Meat Filling:
- In a large sauté pan, brown the ground beef (or lamb) all over.
- Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the mince, tomato paste, and chicken stock to the pan and allow to sauté and reduce a bit before adding cinnamon, allspice, parsley, and the crushed tomatoes.
- Allow the sauce to simmer uncovered for approximately 15 minutes so that excess liquid can evaporate.
- It should be a dry-ish, chunky tomato sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until reduced.
 How to Make the Béchamel Sauce:
- Melt the butter over a low heat. Using a whisk, add flour to the melted butter, whisking continuously to make a smooth paste.
- Allow the flour to cook for a minute but do not allow it to brown.
- Add the warmed milk to the mixture in a steady stream, whisking continuously.
- Simmer over a low heat until it thickens a bit but does not boil.
- Remove from the heat, and stir in the beaten egg yolks and a pinch of nutmeg. Return to the heat and stir until the sauce thickens.
 How to Assemble the Moussaka:
- Lightly grease a large deep baking pan (lasagna pan).
- Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with breadcrumbs. Leaving a 1/4 inch space around the edges of the pan, place a layer of potatoes on the bottom. Top with a layer of eggplant slices.
- Add the meat sauce on top of the eggplant layer and sprinkle with 1/4 of the grated cheese. Top with another layer of eggplant slices and sprinkle once again with 1/4 of the grated cheese.
- Pour the béchamel sauce over the eggplant, being sure to allow the sauce to fill the sides and corners of the pan.
- Smooth the béchamel on top with a spatula and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the béchamel sauce is a nice golden brown color.
- Allow to cool for 15–20 minutes before slicing and serving.
