Traditionally, the eggplant slices are fried but there’s plenty of recipes (even from Greek cookbooks) that grill/broil, bake or BBQ the eggplant. A rich tomato meat sauce layered with eggplant instead of pasta sheets, and topped with a thick layer of béchamel sauce, this traditional Greek recipe takes time to assemble – but it’s well worth the effort! There are many regional variations lovingly prepared with lamb mince, herbs and spices a rich tomato sauce with aubergine and potatoes layered and topped with a tangy yogurt feta and egg crusty top baked in the oven.

The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. I think it’s worth noting that this recipe makes a 9”x13” moussaka (I didn’t see this mentioned anywhere and the dish in the video looked smaller to me). Butter the bottom and sides of the pan and layer the potatoes first (if you’re using them), then half the eggplants.The Bechamel on a moussaka should be a bit stiffer than one you would use for lasagna, otherwise there is a danger of the moussaka collapsing – another good trick to prevent this happening is to let the moussaka rest for a while once removed from the oven. Once layered up, you can’t tell if it’s baked rather than fried but your skinny jeans will thank you for it.

And finally, the use of potato in moussaka is contentious; we believe it is essential but many moussakas do not include it. I used parmesan for the bechamel and a mix of parmesan and gruyere for the top as I ran out of parm. So, when preparing your bechamel, make sure you cook it long enough, until it resembles a thick custard. Spoon a third of the meat into the dish and spread out evenly, followed by half the aubergine and half the potato, then the rest of the meat and another layer of aubergines, followed by potatoes.First you’re going to want some large deep purple eggplant for this recipe, not the cute little lavender ones, above, but aren’t they pretty? And, what is your follow-up advice for following your first recommendation: should I defrost (in frighted? In the event of any safety concerns or for any other information about a product please carefully read any instructions provided on the label or packaging and contact the manufacturer.

This classic Greek dish of layered thinly sliced potato, aubergine and lamb is topped with a creamy béchamel sauce. The starchiness of the potatoes perfectly complements the tanginess of the sauce, the sweetness of the aubergines and the creaminess of the béchamel cream. It was so delicious and I made it exactly as written except I halved the recipe and used the “baked method” as noted for all the veggies. Many versions have a top layer made of milk-based sauce thickened with egg (custard) or flour (béchamel sauce).Potatoes will take the longest (around 30mins), then eggplant (around 20mins) then zucchini (around 10-15mins). This Mousaka seasoning is all you need to properly prepare and indulge yourself in this delicious comfort food.

Thaw then bring to room temp before baking for around 30mins, or until piping hot again through the centre. The topping is the most magnificent creamy custard sauce and the most distinctive element in a moussaka.Turn the slices over and cook them on the other side for 5 minutes until they’re softened and lightly browned. Next time I will double the meat sauce and freeze half to speed up the making of a future casserole. How to make The Real Greek’s lamb moussaka – The Independent How to make The Real Greek’s lamb moussaka.