Greek moussaka recipe. Cooking moussaka: instructions for use

Moussaka is a dish similar to borscht. There are also endless disputes about it - what ingredients, in what order, eggplant processing technology, which cuisine belongs to ... I still tend to Greek cuisine. Otherwise, where would this recipe come from in my family of crests-Russians-Moldovans-Jews? Nothing but the influence of the Azov Greeks;)

So, for my moussaka, the following ingredients were needed:

Ground meat:

4 small eggplants

400 gr. homemade minced meat(300 beef, 100 pork)

2 large sweet onions (I used white/pearl onions)

3 large garlic cloves

3 large fleshy tomatoes

green basil

salt,

freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

Sauce:

500 ml milk

50 gr. butter

50 gr. flour

salt,

freshly ground black pepper

nutmeg

First of all, we send blue ones to the oven, they are eggplants. Many advise pricking so that the skin does not burst. But, since we are taking off this skin, it makes no difference to us whether it bursts or not. the photo just shows one eggplant with a burst skin. During the ripening time in the oven, turn them over a couple of times so that they bake evenly everywhere. Take out and let cool.

While the blue ones are cooling down, cut the onion - I cut it finely, I don’t like large onions in the dish, caramelize it for 5 minutes over low heat in vegetable oil, add chopped garlic - fry for 2 minutes.

Add minced meat and stir well so that the minced meat becomes grains. Speaking of minced meat, in general, we always make moussaka with lamb, but in difficult times, beef and pork go well. For my taste, it's strong for the quality ready meal does not affect. add coarsely chopped tomatoes, chopped greens to the minced meat. I used a mixture of lemongrass basil and clove basil. They give such a strong aroma for a couple that I considered it blasphemous to add anything else. Salt, pepper. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes.

We clean the blue ones, cut into pieces, add to the minced meat. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. This is a classic bechamel. We take the butter, melt it in a saucepan, add the flour and actively stir for a couple of minutes so that the flour does not burn and mixes well with the butter. Then add cold milk. Mix vigorously so that there are no lumps. add salt, SSChP and nutmeg on the tip of a knife. Voila, the sauce is ready. If yours is very thick, add milk. And if you like the cheesy taste, add grated parmesan to it.

Pour the prepared minced meat with the sauce.

And put it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Readiness is checked by smell. As soon as it gets to the bedroom, to the husband for a laptop, who immediately comes off his car forums and rushes to the kitchen for his big spoon, then it's ready.

Our family loves a juicy, non-photogenic mash :) And if you like moussaka more, which can be cut and will keep its shape, drain the excess liquid before placing the minced meat in a heat-resistant form. And you will have drier moussaka.

Enjoy your meal.

In this article, we will look at the process of making moussaka.

AT culinary world there are a huge number of recipes for delicious casseroles, but today our choice fell on most interesting dish, which is traditionally considered to be Greek.

So, today we will prepare a dish called moussaka, which is the most delicate casserole with a variety of fillings.

Greek dish moussaka: a classic Greek recipe

Moussaka, as mentioned earlier, is a very popular Greek dish, which is usually prepared from vegetables, most often eggplant and minced meat under delicious sauce bechamel.

Since moussaka was originally considered an exclusively Greek dish, we will start preparing the delicacy according to the classic recipe.

So, we need the following products:

• Potato - 2.5 kg
• Eggplant - 2.5 kg
• Olive or vegetable oil - 150 ml
• Beef pulp - 1 kg
• Bulb - 1 pc.
• Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• Spices, salt - at your discretion
• Breadcrumbs for breading - 3.5 tbsp. l.
• Cheese - 50 g

We will also prepare the sauce, it will require the following ingredients:

• Flour - 5.5 tbsp. l.
• Butter - 200 g
• Baked milk - 350 g
• Eggs - 3-4 pcs., We only need yolks
• Ground nutmeg - 1.5 tsp.

Now that all the ingredients are prepared, you can begin the process of cooking the dish itself.

• Let's start with the meat. We take the pulp of beef, rinse it thoroughly and dry it with paper towels. Now grind the pulp into pieces so that you can make minced meat out of it. Chopped pieces can be chopped with a meat grinder or blender
• Now we put our minced meat in a container in which we will fry it, pre-pour oil into the pan
• We clean the onion and chop it, add to the minced meat
• When the minced meat and onions are lightly fried, we flavor them with our spices and salt.
• Let's take tomatoes. We wash them and grind them with a grater or blender. Put the resulting puree in a pan, mix all the ingredients, simmer until tender.
• We take vegetables, wash, dry. Potatoes, after peeling, chop into slices of medium thickness. We also clean the eggplant and cut into slices, cut the vegetable along the length. In order to remove the bitterness from the vegetable, you can soak it for more than 10 minutes. in saline
• We will pre-bake the vegetables a little in the oven, for this we transfer the potatoes and eggplants to a baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes. at 170 degrees

While the mince and vegetables are cooking, let's make the sauce.

• Take a container, put butter in it
• As soon as the butter is completely melted, add flour to it and carefully mix the contents of the pan quickly in order to avoid lumps.
• Now the turn of milk has come, it must be poured into the container very carefully, little by little. Pour milk - mix the ingredients
• We drive eggs, spices into an almost ready sauce and beat the mixture. The sauce is ready

We collect our dish:

• Spray a baking dish lightly with oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
• Lay the meat layer on the bottom
• Now a layer of potatoes
• eggplant layer
• Once again, repeat the sequence, lay out all the layers
• Pour our sauce into the mold
• We put the dish to bake for about half an hour at the same temperature
• For 3-5 min. before the end of the cooking process, sprinkle the moussaka with grated cheese

Recipe:

This recipe is very similar to the previous one, however, it contains other vegetables. So, let's see how easy and fast you can make Bulgarian moussaka.

We will need the following products:

• Minced meat - 550 g
• Bulb - 2 pcs.
• Bulgarian pepper - 2 pcs.
• Carrot - 1 pc.
• Eggplant - 2 pcs.
• Eggs - 3 pcs.
• Yogurt for dressing - half a liter
• Oil for frying - 3.5 tbsp. l.
• Oregano, cinnamon, turmeric, paprika, salt - at your discretion

Let's start cooking:

• Let's deal with minced meat. you can buy minced pork or beef. You can buy "assorted" or, if possible, buy the pulp, and make minced meat yourself. If you do not like fatty meat, however, you want to make moussaka, take minced chicken
• Peel and mince the onion
• Wash the pepper and remove the core, cut into rings
• Eggplants are peeled, if necessary, we remove bitterness from them, cut into slices along the length
• Wash carrots, chop into cubes or circles
• Pour oil into the pan and put the onion and carrot there, fry the vegetables a little, about 3 minutes.
• Add the minced meat to the vegetables, mix and fry for another 10 minutes.
• We flavor the contents of the pan with spices, spices, salt
• Eggplant and pepper pre-bake a little in the oven. To do this, put them on a baking sheet, greased with oil and cook for about 15 minutes.
• Now we assemble the dish:
• Put the eggplant in the mold
• now pepper
• Repeat the layout until the ingredients run out.
• Yogurt, pre-mixed with eggs and flavored with spices and salt, pour into a mold
• Bake moussaka for about 15-25 minutes.

Armenian eggplant moussaka: recipe

Moussaka in Armenian is somewhat different from traditional dish. This delicacy turns out to be unusually satisfying, high-calorie and, of course, tasty.

We buy products:

• Beef pulp - 650 g
• Eggplant - 5 pcs.
• Bulb - 1.5 pcs.
• Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• Rice - half a cup
• Oil for frying
• Greens,

The cooking process is very simple:

• We wash the beef pulp, dry it and cut into small pieces
• Wash the eggplants, peel them and cut them into slices, sprinkle with salt in order to “pull out” the bitterness from them. After 15 min. Rinse the vegetables with water to remove excess salt.
• Peel the onion and cut into cubes
• We wash the rice in running cold water, this must be done as efficiently as possible. We put a container with rice and bring it to half-cooked
• In a frying pan, into which we first pour oil, spread the meat and fry for 5 minutes.
• Add the onion to the beef and continue to fry for about 3-5 minutes.
• In another pan, fry the eggplant until half cooked. We put them on a plate and wait until the oil drains a little from the vegetables.
• Mix rice, beef and onion in a bowl. Season it all with salt and spices, mix
• My tomatoes and remove the core, cut into slices, finely chop the greens

Assembling the dish:

• Grease a baking sheet or dish with oil
• We spread the eggplant
• Mix of rice and meat
• eggplant
• tomatoes

We put in the oven. We expect about 15-25 minutes. Serve the dish hot, pre-garnished with herbs. The peculiarity of this recipe is that not minced meat is put in the dish, but pieces of meat. However, if you don't like it, you can grind the pulp and use minced meat.

Serbian moussaka: recipe

Now let's see how Serbs prepare moussaka. We would call this dish more “light”, because this recipe you need to use a minimum of ingredients.

Products we need:

• Pulp of pork, beef - 300 g each
• Potato - 7 pcs.
• Carrot, onion - 2 pcs.
• Eggs - 2 pcs.
• Cheese - 50 g
• Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• Spices, spices, salt - at your discretion
• Vegetable oil
• Greens
• Milk

Cooking a dish:

• We wash the meat, dry it and grind it with a meat grinder or blender.
• Vegetables are cleaned and washed. Chop the onion into cubes, carrots into strips, potatoes into circles. It is worth slicing the potatoes as thinly as possible, because we will not pre-fry or boil it
• Fry onions and carrots in oil, like frying for soup
• We spread our minced meat to the fried vegetables and fry it for about 15 minutes.
• We flavor the contents of the pan with spices, spices and salt
• Lubricate the form with oil, spread the potatoes, minced meat, potatoes, minced meat and tomatoes, potatoes
• We put the container in the oven and bake until the potatoes are ready, about 35-40 minutes.
• Min. 10-15 before the end of the cooking process, beat the eggs with milk and pour the moussaka with this mixture. And in 5 min. - Sprinkle with shredded cheese
• Already serving the dish, it must be flavored with chopped herbs.

Moussaka with potatoes: recipe

Moussaka with potatoes turns out to be very satisfying, so most housewives prefer this recipe. Let's see how to prepare this delicacy.

We will need:

• Lamb pulp - 500 g
• Bulb - 1.5 pcs.
• Canned tomatoes - 300 g
• Eggplant - 1 pc.
• Potato - 4 pcs.
• Sweet pepper - 1 pc.
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Butter - 2 tbsp. l.
• Milk - 250 ml
• Cheese - 50 g
• Vegetable oil - 3.5 tbsp. l.
• Flour - 1.5-2 tbsp. l.
• Spices, spices, salt - at your discretion

Let's start cooking:

• Wash the meat, dry it and pass it through a meat grinder
• Peel the onion and chop with a knife or blender
• Put the onion in a heated frying pan with oil, after 3 minutes. add minced meat to it, fry the contents of the pan for 15-20 minutes.
• We spread the tomatoes in the pan and season everything with salt, spices, mix, let it stew for about 15 minutes.
• Wash the eggplant, peel and cut into circles, sprinkle with salt to remove bitterness. In 10 minutes. wash the eggplant and fry in a pan until half cooked
• Peel the potatoes, cut into slices and lightly weld
• Wash the pepper, remove the core and cut into slices
• In a baking dish, pre-greased with oil, put the minced meat, potatoes, peppers and eggplant

Preparing the sauce:

• Put the butter in a container, melt it, add flour, mix the ingredients thoroughly. Pour milk, let the contents of the pan boil and thicken, season with spices, add salt if necessary
• Pour our moussaka with potatoes with this sauce and sprinkle the dish with chopped cheese
• We wait about 40 minutes while the dish is cooked in the oven

Moussaka with zucchini: recipe

Moussaka with zucchini is very popular, because zucchini is an affordable vegetable, and the taste of the dish with it is simply incredible.

Ingredients for the dish:

• Minced meat - 550 g
• Bulb - 1.5 pcs.
• Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• Zucchini - 4 pcs. (1 kg)
• Potato - 2 pcs.
• Red wine - 150 ml
• Vegetable oil - 100 ml
• Spices, spices, salt - at your discretion

We will prepare the sauce from the following products:

• Flour - 2.5 tbsp. l.
• Eggs - 3 pcs.
• Hard cheese - 100 g
• Butter - 100 g
• A mixture of nuts (peanuts, almonds) - 50 g
• Milk - half a liter

All the ingredients are collected, let's start cooking:

• Let's start with the main ingredient. Wash zucchini and cut lengthwise into slices. Fry in oil until half cooked and transfer to a plate so that oil is glassed from vegetables
• Wash the potatoes, boil in their skins until half cooked, peel and cut into slices
• The onion should be peeled, finely chopped
• In a frying pan, into which we first pour oil, spread the onion, after 3 minutes. Add minced meat, mix, fry for about 7 minutes.
• At this time, wash the tomatoes, remove the core and chop
• Now we spread the tomatoes to the minced meat, flavor it all with spices, salt and pour in the wine, mix and simmer until the liquid evaporates

We prepare the sauce like this:

• Melt the butter in a bowl, add flour to it, mix. Pour milk, flavor with spices, turn off the fire under the pan. Add pre-chopped mixture of nuts and cheese, mix. Crack the eggs into the sauce, beat the mixture

Assembling the dish:

• In a pre-oiled form, put the zucchini (half), potatoes, minced meat and all other zucchini. Pour the sauce, cook in the oven for about an hour.

Moussaka with rice: recipe

It's time to tell you about a delicious casserole with rice and vegetables. This recipe is perfect for those people who are watching their figure or just want to diversify the menu with some kind of dish that does not contain meat.

We buy the following products:

• Eggplant - 4 pcs.
• Bulb - 2 pcs.
• Sweet pepper - 2 pcs.
• Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• Rice - half a cup
• Eggs - 2 pcs.
• Wheat flour - 2 tbsp. l.
• Milk - 200 ml
• Vegetable oil - half a cup
• Spices, spices, salt - at your discretion

Cooking moussaka:

• Wash eggplant, peel, remove bitterness from them in a known way. Wash and pan fry
• Wash the rice thoroughly until the water is clear.
• Peel the onion and chop as finely as possible.
• Saute onion and rice for about 10 minutes. stir the ingredients all the time.
• Add about 300 ml of water to the rice, add salt, and cook until the water evaporates
• Tomatoes cut into slices
• Wash the peppers, remove the core and cut into slices
• In a pre-oiled form, put half the eggplant, tomatoes and rice, then all the peppers, again rice, eggplant, tomatoes
• Cover the form tightly with foil and send to bake for about half an hour.
• Beat the egg, flour, spices, salt and milk and get the sauce
• Fill after 30 minutes. sauce our dish and already without foil bring to readiness for about 20 minutes.

Moussaka with cabbage: recipe

We present to your attention an unusually tasty and healthy recipe. This dish is perfect not only for a family lunch or dinner, but also for holiday table. Such moussaka always turns out very fragrant and tender.

Required products:

• Pulp of beef, pork - 550 g
• Champignons - 350 g
• Cauliflower - 550 g
• Bulb -1 pc.
• Garlic - a couple of cloves
• Milk - half a liter
• Eggs - 4 pcs.
• Cheese -70 g
• Spices, spices, salt - at your discretion
• Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. l.

Preparing a treat:

• We clean the onion and garlic and pass it through a meat grinder together with the meat, we get minced meat
• Mushrooms are cleaned, washed and chopped into slices, or we cut each mushroom into 2-4 parts
• Fry the mushrooms in vegetable oil, and after 5 minutes. add minced meat to it and fry the contents of the pan for about 15-20 minutes.
• Flavor the minced meat with the necessary spices and salt
• Let's get to the cabbage. We thoroughly wash it, divide it into inflorescences and lower them for 5 minutes. into boiling water
• We take a baking sheet better shape for baking deeper and grease with oil
• Place half of the cabbage in a bowl.
• Then put mince
• And another layer of cabbage
• Beat eggs, milk and cheese with salt and spices. Pour moussaka with this liquid
• Cook in the oven for about 1 hour.
• Serve hot, however, in this case, the dish may crumble. It is better to let the dish cool a little and then cut it into portioned pieces.

Vegetarian moussaka with vegetables: recipe

There is no meat, milk and eggs in your diet, but you really want to try this dish? For you, there is an excellent recipe for vegetarian moussaka, which, by the way, is no less in demand than recipes that contain meat.

So we need to take:

• Potato - 3 pcs.
• Bulb - 1.5 pcs.
• Carrot - 1 pc.
• Sweet pepper - 2 pcs.
• Eggplant - 2 pcs.
• Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
• Zucchini - 1 pc.
• Spices, spices, salt - at your discretion
• Vegetable oil
• Garlic - a couple of cloves
• Vegetable broth or water - 200 ml

Cooking a dish:

• Wash eggplant, peel and cut into circles, which we cover with salt for 7 minutes in order to remove bitterness. After the procedure, do not forget to rinse the vegetables
• We clean the potatoes, wash them and cut into circles in the same way
• We clean the onion and chop it into rings or half rings
• Wash, peel and chop carrots in any way
• Rinse the pepper and remove the core from it. Grind in circles
• Tomatoes cut into slices, pre-washed
• Finely chop the garlic

Assembling the dish is very simple:

• Grease the form with oil, put potatoes, garlic, eggplant, onions, carrots, peppers and tomatoes
• Each layer must be lightly flavored with spices, salt and oil.
• Pour the broth into the container and put in the oven for 40-50 minutes. until vegetables are ready

It is important to say that the main vegetable used in this dish is eggplant. Other vegetables you can choose at your discretion. Some add celery, broccoli, asparagus, and even pumpkin.

Moussaka: recipe from Yulia Vysotskaya

Julia Vysotskaya needs no introduction. All hostesses probably know this sorceress of their business. That is why we decided to tell the recipe this dish which she uses in her kitchen.

We need these products:

• Beef pulp - 550 g
• Eggplant - 2 pcs.
• Red bulb - 1.5 pcs.
• Tomato paste - 1.5 tbsp. l.
• Fresh mint and parsley - 1 bunch each
• Butter - 1.5 tsp.
• Olive oil - 3.5 tbsp. l.
• A mixture of spices and spices: cumin, hot red pepper, black pepper, paprika, salt
• Cheese - 80 g
• Milk - 450 ml
• Wheat flour - 2.5 tbsp. l.
• Ground nutmeg - 5 g

Cooking moussaka:

• Eggplant should be washed and dried. Next, cut them into slices lengthwise, flavor with oil, spices, salt and fry
• Grind the meat with a blender or in a meat grinder
• We clean the onion and chop it in half rings and fry in a pan with olive and butter
• Season the onion with spices, salt and spread the tomato paste to it
• Chopped herbs (parsley)
• We spread the minced meat and parsley in a container with onions, fry for about 15 minutes.
• We take and grind the cheese. According to the recipe, you need to take Parmesan, but the cost of this product is high and, if desired, it can be replaced with any other hard cheese

We make the sauce like this.

• All dry ingredients are fried in a pan.
• Slowly pour the milk into the pan, stir
• As soon as the contents boil, remove the pan from the heat, pour the sauce into a plate and add cheese to it, mix

We collect the dish.

• Place the eggplant in a baking dish. You need to lay them out so that the sides of the dish are obtained from the slices
• Now we put minced meat there
• Pour the sauce into the mold
• We send it to the oven for half an hour
• We decorate the already prepared dish with fresh mint leaves.

Moussaka is the most interesting and delicious dish. Preparing such a delicacy is as easy as shelling pears, and the simplest ingredients are needed for the dish. Therefore, we recommend that you definitely try this delicacy. And one more tip: do not be afraid to try something new, add your own ingredients and spices, because you are cooking first of all for yourself. Enjoy your meal!

Video: Moussaka in Greek

When traveling around Greece, tourists do not miss the opportunity to get acquainted with the local cuisine. Many people like the piquant taste of traditional Mediterranean dishes, therefore, returning to their native land, travelers often try to repeat the creations of Greek chefs at home. Among the popular dishes, Greek salad, Tzatziki, Taramasalata and Moussaka in Greek with eggplant stand out, the recipe of which we will give in today's article. After reading the material, you will learn how to cook classic Moussaka, as well as what variations of this dish are found.

What is Moussaka in Greek

In every restaurant, cafe or tavern in Greece, traditional Moussaka is served - a layered Greek casserole with eggplant, minced meat and cream sauce. By appearance and cooking technology, it is very similar to Italian lasagna, with the only difference being that Greeks use vegetables instead of pasta sheets. This dish is associated with french cuisine, because the casserole is poured with the famous bechamel sauce.

This combination of European taste notes with traditional Greek products is due to the fact that the creator of Moussaka, chef Nikos Tselemendis, not only loved national cuisine, but also appreciated the culinary finds of other countries. As a result of the hobbies and experiments of the Greek chef, the classic recipe for Greek Moussaka with eggplant and bechamel sauce was born. Consider detailed composition this original recipe.

Ingredients

It is difficult to surprise modern gourmets, so classic recipes are constantly undergoing changes in the composition of the ingredients or the method of preparation. We will also get acquainted with the variations of the Greek casserole, but first we will consider the original classics.

Traditional Moussaka is made from eggplant and minced lamb. Lamb is the favorite meat of the Greeks, and will not be replaced by other types of meat delicacies. Beef, pork, chicken and turkey are a completely different taste for a Greek dish.

Here is a complete list containing the main ingredients of Moussaka:

• Eggplant - 1 kg;
• Minced lamb - 500-700 gr.;
• Onions - 2 pcs.;
• Tomatoes- 3 pcs.;
• Oilolive - 2 tablespoons;
• Cheese - 100 gr.;
• White dry wine- 150 ml.

In addition, you need to stock up on spices and products for making the sauce.

The composition and proportions of spices are completely dependent on the preferences of the cook. Sometimes eggplant moussaka contains only ground pepper, salt and nutmeg. But in most cases, the dish is seasoned with a whole mixture of herbs. For rich taste a sprig of cinnamon, nutmeg, oregano, lemon zest, bay leaf, salt, red pepper and ordinary ground pepper are added to the minced meat.

Greek casserole is poured with bechamel sauce, for which you will need the following products:

• Milk - 0.5 l.;
• Butter - 90 gr.;
• Egg - 2 pcs.;
• Cheese - 150 gr;
• Flour - 2 tbsp.

General principles of preparation

The preparation of Moussaka is a rather lengthy process, consisting of several preparatory stages. The table below contains a description of each stage and important notes on the preparation technology.

Greek moussaka with eggplant
№	Stage	Description	Nuances and remarks
1	Sliced ​​eggplant.	At the discretion of the cook, you can cut the vegetables lengthwise into large slices, or across the rounds. Most cooks prefer to peel the skin, but in the classic recipe eggplant is added to the dish with the skin on. In the process of cooking, it softens and does not interfere with enjoying the finished dish.	So that the vegetables do not taste bitter, after cutting them, hold them for 20-30 minutes in a “salt bath” (2 tablespoons of salt per 1 liter of water). After the procedure, dry the slices with a paper towel.
2	Tomato preparation.	Tomatoes are peeled and cut into circles. Before assembling the layers, the tomatoes are sautéed a little in a pan.	To easily get rid of the skin, dip the cut vegetables in boiling water for 1 minute, and then pour over cold water and remove the skin.
3	Roasting and stewing (onions, minced meat, tomatoes, wine, spices).	Peeled and finely chopped onions are laid out in a heated frying pan. With the appearance of a golden color, add minced meat to the onion, mix thoroughly and continue to fry. When the meat begins to release juice, it is seasoned with spices and poured with wine and water. The meat component is left to stew until the liquid evaporates.	Products are fried exclusively in olive oil. Lamb is used as minced meat, but, in extreme cases, it can be replaced with beef.
4	Roast eggplant	While the meat is stewing, it is necessary to fry the prepared eggplant slices in a separate pan.	Fry over high heat, no more than 1 minute for each side of the vegetable.
5	sauce preparation	Put butter in a frying pan and heat it up a little. Then flour is added to the butter and fried until golden brown. Slowly pour milk into the mixture, stir, and bring the mass to the consistency of liquid sour cream, after which it is removed from heat. Beat the eggs a little and quickly pour into the prepared mixture. It remains to add the grated cheese, season the sauce with nutmeg and salt, and mix thoroughly again.	The base is cooked over low heat, stirring constantly. Milk and eggs are added carefully so that they do not curdle ahead of time.
6	Assembly of layers	Prepared products are laid out in a baking dish in the following order: Eggplant (1/2 part); Minced meat (1/2); Tomatoes; eggplant; Ground meat; Bechamel sauce; Grated cheese. The dish is placed in a preheated oven and baked for 40-50 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.	Before serving vegetable casserole should be infused for 15-20 minutes.

This is how a traditional Greek dish is prepared. Now consider the popular variations of recipes.

Moussaka Recipes

Apart from classic way there are many delicious variations of this dish. For example, Moussaka with eggplant and potatoes, lean casserole, Moussaka with rice and more than 14 recipes for cooking this dish in the oven. In addition, often not lamb or beef is used as meat, but chicken and pork. And the composition of spices for snacks is completely inexhaustible. Chili, cinnamon, garlic, dill and parsley, nutmeg, black pepper - Moussaka goes well with everything.

Classic Greek Moussaka with Eggplant and Potatoes

This variation is different from classic dish"Greek Moussaka with minced meat and eggplant" only by the presence of potatoes. The steps of the process are:

1. Coarsely chop the eggplant, potatoes and tomatoes. Bring the vegetables separately in a pan until half cooked.
2. Fry the minced meat, adding a little parsley, salt, garlic, as well as olive oil and pepper to it.
3. Prepare Bechamel. fry in butter flour, slowly adding milk (500 ml) to the mixture. Remove the thickened mass from the heat and add beaten eggs (2 pcs.), Season with nutmeg and mix.
4. Put everything in layers: potatoes, eggplant, minced meat, tomatoes, again eggplant and minced meat. Pour over the sauce and add a topping of grated hard cheese (150 gr.). Put in the oven.

Moussaka is baked with potatoes for about 60-80 minutes.

Vegetarian (Lenten) moussaka in Greek

Cooking a classic eggplant Moussaka recipe means getting a huge portion of calories. If you are a fan of lighter and proper nutrition, then you can replace the composition of the products and cook Vegetarian Moussaka.

Required Ingredients:

• carrots (2),
• potatoes (5),
• celery (100g),
• green beans (500g),
• rice (half a cup)
• eggs (4),
• milk (200 ml),
• olive or vegetable oil (50 ml),
• onion (2).

Onions are finely chopped, carrots and celery are ground on a grater, after which the vegetables are put in a pan and fried. Rice, beans and potatoes are boiled separately. The finished beans are cut into pieces, and the potatoes are rubbed on a coarse grater. Prepared products are laid out in a form in layers, which are done in this order:

• potato;
• fried vegetables;
• rice;
• beans.

The sauce is made from a mixture of eggs and milk, but let's also classic bechamel. Vegetarian Moussaka is baked for only 20 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.

For meatless dishes in addition to rice, beans or carrots, cooks use other vegetables. Therefore, it is not at all uncommon for Moussaka with cabbage, bell pepper, pumpkin, green peas etc.

Moussaka Greek style with eggplant and zucchini

Many people like to combine zucchini and eggplant in Moussaka, so the dish turns out to be more juicy and rich.

Such a casserole with minced meat is being prepared (meat mixtures from lamb, beef or veal are acceptable), the difference is only in the number of vegetables. Zucchini are cut and cooked in the same way as eggplant, you can even fry vegetables together. The only thing to note is that zucchini should not be soaked in water or kept in salt, because. they will lose their consistency.

Variation with eggplant and rice

Another recipe for people who do not accept meat and high-calorie pastas. With rice, Moussaka is cooked a little differently, so the full step-by-step instruction cooking.

1. Eggplants (2 pcs.) are peeled, cut into large chunks and fried. Spread the fried vegetables on paper to drain excess oil.
2. Rice (150 gr.) and white beans(300gr.) Boil until cooked and mix with each other.
3. Tomatoes (3 pcs.) Finely chopped and sautéed in a pan with herbs(taste).
4. Prepared products are laid out in a mold in the following sequence: eggplant - tomatoes - rice and beans - tomatoes - eggplant. The dish is baked for 30 minutes.

Ready Moussaka is served without sauce, but with a sprinkling of fresh herbs.

A traditional Greek dish is cooked very tasty using a slow cooker. Thanks to the smooth heating of the bowl, Moussaka becomes more tender in taste.

Ingredients for the dish:

• eggplant - 2 pcs,
• onion - 1 pc,
• minced meat - 500 gr,
• eggs - 2 pcs,
• cheese - 150 gr,
• sour cream - 2 tbsp,
• flour - 2 tbsp,
• tomato paste - 1 tbsp,
• butter - 1 tbsp,
• garlic - 1 clove.

Cooking process

Cut eggplant into slices, stand for 20 minutes. in a salt bath, dry. Chop the onion and garlic, fry in the “Baking” mode until golden brown. Add the seasoned minced meat to the onion and continue cooking for another 20 minutes. Fill the mixture tomato paste, leave to languish in the same mode for 10 minutes

During this time, carefully mix the grated cheese, eggs and sour cream, achieving a homogeneous, thick mass. Open the bowl, put the eggplant on top of the minced meat and pour the sauce over the dish. Leave to cook for another 20 minutes until the vegetables are browned.

Moussaka with chicken and eggplant

Just as salads and casseroles with chicken are popular and tasty, so Greek Moussaka goes well with poultry meat. The cooking method is similar to the classic recipe, but instead of minced meat, chicken fillet is finely chopped and fried with vegetables. The dish is laid out in layers and poured with a sufficient amount of bechamel sauce.

The famous Greek casserole moussaka won the hearts of not only the Greeks, but also gourmets around the world. In fact, in Greek, the word μουσακάς sounds like musakAs - with the accent on the last syllable - this is a masculine noun. But its transformed form has firmly entered and taken root in the Russian language. The word itself, together with the original version of the dish, is Arabic. This is a salad of fried vegetables with spices. From the Arabs, the salad and the word got into the cuisines of the Balkan and Mediterranean peoples with some changes and additions.

The dish was cold (musaqqa means "chilled" in Arabic) until the Greeks intervened in the early twentieth century. Rather, one Greek is Nicholas Tselementes, whom grateful compatriots remember and honor to this day. Being a professional chef, Nicholas decided to combine oriental salad with meat, and pour it all over with French bechamel sauce. And it turned out to be a great casserole!

That is why Greek moussaka compares favorably with its counterparts from other cuisines of the world. Its additional feature is that the products are laid out in layers. The classic moussaka recipe necessarily contains eggplant, finely chopped lamb meat and Bechamel sauce. french sauce in the process of baking, it hardens and acquires a ruddy crust, which gives the dish an appetizing look. Greek housewives complement the classics with their own special secrets, adding a layer of boiled potatoes, or a layer of fried zucchini, or both layers together.

Moussaka in Greek. Classic recipe

How to cook Greek moussaka

Greek moussaka recipe

Dish Main course

Cuisine Greek

Preparation time 1 hour

Time for preparing 1 hour

Total time 2 hours

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pcs. - Eggplant medium size
• 1 kg - Minced meat in the original - finely chopped lamb or a mixture of beef with lamb or pork
• 3 pcs. - Tomatoes medium size (or tomato puree- 200 grams)
• 1 PC. - Onion medium size
• 3-4 st. l. - Flour
• 300 g - Hard cheese
• 150 g - Butter
• 600 g - Milk
• 50 g - Olive oil you can refined sunflower
• 1 clove - Garlic
• 100 g - White wine dry (optional)
• to taste - Salt
• to taste - black pepper
• to taste - Marjoram
• to taste - Nutmeg

Instructions

moussaka casserole

Wash the eggplant, cut off the stalks and cut into slices with a sharp knife, about one centimeter thick. Lay them out on a board, salt and let stand until they are covered with moisture - about twenty to thirty minutes. This procedure is necessary so that bitterness comes out of them. While the eggplants are standing, you can put the oven on to heat up to 200 degrees and do the meat filling.

Peel and finely chop the onion. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan (you can take sunflower oil) and add onion there. When it is browned, put the minced meat in a pan and fry a little. If instead of minced meat you use low-fat, finely chopped lamb with a knife, then you can get as close as possible to the original. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and remove the skin from them. Then rub them on a coarse grater (or take ready-made tomato puree) and add to the minced meat with onions. Sometimes the Greeks add some dry white wine, but this is not necessary. Simmer over low heat.

While the meat filling is being prepared, and the eggplants are getting rid of bitterness, you need to prepare the grated cheese. It is useful for bechamel sauce and for the dish itself. Greeks use hard and salty cheese for moussaka - kefalotiri, but you can take any hard cheese like parmesan. Rub it on a coarse grater and divide into three equal parts. The first part will go into the sauce, the second - after the eggplant layer, and the third will come in handy in order to sprinkle the dish on top.

When the minced meat is almost ready, you can add chopped garlic and spices. Nutmeg is added quite a bit, at the tip of a knife, and marjoram - about a quarter of a teaspoon. Salt, pepper lightly and simmer, stirring occasionally until the liquid is completely boiled away.

Remove moisture from the eggplant with a paper towel. You can brush them lightly on both sides. olive oil cooking brush. Then carefully place on a wire rack and put in the oven for 3-5 minutes. You can put eggplants on a baking sheet, having previously laid baking paper, but then bake for no more than 3 minutes, and then turn them over and bake for another 2-3 minutes until lightly blushed. You can fry eggplants in a pan, but then you must definitely blot the excess oil with a paper towel. This process will take a little longer.

Grease a deep baking dish with oil (both olive and cream can be used). If the form is without a non-stick coating, then it is better to sprinkle it breadcrumbs so that the casserole does not burn or stick. Gently lay out the eggplants as the first layer so that the bottom is not visible and sprinkle with grated cheese. Then lay out as a second layer meat stuffing and align. Pour the bechamel sauce over the third layer. Spread it evenly over the entire surface and sprinkle the rest on top. grated cheese. Send to the oven and bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes.

When done, remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes. In order for moussaka to be served hot, it takes time for the sauce to thicken a little - otherwise it cannot be cut neatly.

The number of layers can be increased by adding a layer of boiled potatoes, cut into circles and / or fried zucchini, cut in the same way as eggplant. Sometimes zucchini is used instead of eggplant. It is advisable to sprinkle each new layer with grated cheese.

Notes

Moussaka is served both hot and cold as an independent dish. The white Greek wine Retsina is perfect for it.

Enjoy your meal! Καλή σας όρεξη!

For Greek-style moussaka with eggplant, grind the meat into minced meat. Peel the onion from the husk. If the eggplants are bitter, cut them into slices or rings and dip them in salted water (1 tablespoon of salt per 1 liter of liquid) to get rid of the unpleasant aftertaste. After 15-20 minutes, take them out and dry them with a paper towel. Make cruciform cuts on the tomatoes, pour over with boiling water and immediately dip in cold water - this way the skin will easily separate from the pulp. Peel them and cut into slices.

Sauce Preparation: Melt the butter in a hot saucepan. Pour the flour into the butter and fry it, stirring constantly, until slightly golden, carefully breaking up the lumps. Pour in a little warm milk. Continuing to stir constantly, bring the mass to a homogeneous consistency and thickening (the sauce should have the density of liquid sour cream). Remove from fire. Lightly beat the eggs with a fork and carefully fold them into the sauce, trying to do it quickly so that they do not have time to curdle from the temperature. Grate cheese on a fine grater. Stir it into the egg and milk mixture while it is warm to melt it. Spice up the mass nutmeg, add salt to taste and mix well.

Fry eggplant slices in a well-heated pan with vegetable oil until half cooked, half a minute on each side. Cut the onion into half rings, fry it until translucent and add minced meat to it. Fry the minced meat with onions for 5-7 minutes, season with your favorite herbs and pour in the wine. Simmer until liquid evaporates. Salt to taste. In a separate pan, lightly simmer the tomatoes so that they release excess liquid, which will interfere with the moussaka baking process. Put a portion of the fried eggplants in a baking dish so that they tightly cover the bottom. Put the minced meat on top of the eggplant and evenly distribute. The next layer is laid out circles of tomatoes. All layers are repeated one more time starting with eggplant. Pour the formed casserole evenly with cream sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese on top. Moussaka is baked at a temperature of 200 degrees. Cooking time ranges from 30 to 45 minutes - it all depends on how quickly the liquid boils away. Therefore, the process should be controlled independently. Dishes should be baked, but not burnt.