Greek Moussaka Recipe
Before trying this recipe, I thought, “Moussaka is already a heavy dish—adding béchamel sauce would make it unbearable.” But after trying it, I realized that wasn’t the case at all. The béchamel sauce, while not as refreshing as a bowl of cacık (Turkish yogurt and cucumber dip), actually helps cut through the oily feeling of the dish and balances it out.
If you prefer a more traditional version without béchamel sauce, you can check out the classic Turkish-style moussaka recipe.
Since this is already a rich dish, I recommend using lean ground beef. There’s no need to soak the eggplants in salted water—modern varieties are not as bitter as they used to be. You can slice the eggplants and potatoes into rounds or lengthwise strips, depending on your preference.
Enjoy every bite...
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 2 large potatoes
- 400 g lean ground beef
- 1 onion
- 1 green pepper (any mild long green pepper)
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sweet red pepper powder
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- Salt
- Plenty of vegetable oil for frying the eggplants and potatoes
For the béchamel sauce:
- 1 heaping tablespoon butter
- 2 heaping tablespoons flour
- 2 cups milk
- Salt
- Black pepper
- 1/2 cup finely grated mozzarella or any melting cheese for topping
Preparation
- Peel and slice the potatoes into rounds.
- Peel the eggplants in stripes and slice them into rounds.
- Heat the frying oil and fry the potatoes first, then the eggplants.
- Dice the onion and green pepper, sauté them in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the ground beef and cook until it releases and reabsorbs its juices.
- Stir in the tomato paste and sauté until it becomes fragrant.
- Add sweet red pepper powder, black pepper, cumin, and salt, and mix well.
- Add the peeled and diced tomatoes, and cook until they release and reabsorb their juice.
- Place the fried vegetables in a strainer and let the excess oil drain for about 10 minutes.
- Arrange the fried potatoes in overlapping layers in a 21x21 cm deep baking dish.
- Spread half of the meat mixture over the potatoes.
- Arrange the eggplants in overlapping layers on top of the meat.
- Spread the remaining meat mixture over the eggplants.
- For the béchamel sauce, melt the butter, add the flour, and sauté for a few minutes while constantly stirring.
- Add the milk and blend until smooth.
- Cook while constantly stirring until the sauce thickens.
- Add salt and black pepper, stir well, and remove from heat.
- Immediately pour the béchamel sauce over the meat and vegetables in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) until the top is golden brown.
Enjoy your meal!