Moussaka classic recipe with photos step by step

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. 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.

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

There are certain varieties of the dish in the cuisines of different countries. 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. 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

Cut and fry the eggplants.
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 one that includes chicken meat; the dish is dietary and low-calorie.

Incredibly tender, melt-in-your-mouth moussaka with zucchini, minced meat and rice, prepared in the same way as the classic one. The method of cutting the zucchini allows the dish to be completely saturated with bechamel sauce and turns moussaka into a dish that is impossible to refuse.

Preparation

I used a rectangular baking dish measuring approximately 20*30 cm.

Boil the potatoes in their skins until tender. I cooked in a slow cooker on the “Steam” mode for 15 minutes.
Finely chop the onion.
Remove the skin from the tomatoes. To do this, I put them in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Cut the tomatoes into small cubes.
Fry the onion in a frying pan with vegetable oil for about 10 minutes.
Add the minced meat to the onion and fry, breaking up any lumps, for about 5-7 minutes.
As soon as the minced meat changes color, add tomatoes and stir. Salt, add seasoning and simmer over low heat under the lid for 15 minutes. Cool.
Peel the zucchini and cut lengthwise. If the zucchini is large with large seeds (like mine), then you need to cut it crosswise into 2-3 parts, then cut into plastic pieces about 1 cm thick. The core of the zucchini with seeds is not used.
Fry the zucchini on a grill or frying pan with vegetable oil until lightly browned.
Place the zucchini on a paper towel to remove excess fat.
Peel the boiled potatoes in their jackets and cut them into slices 1 cm thick.
Prepare the sauce. Grate the cheese on a fine grater. Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stove: it should be hot.
The sauce can be prepared in a saucepan on the stove, but I used a slow cooker. Turn on the “Baking” mode for 40 minutes. Melt the butter and add flour.
Stir so that there are no lumps. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring.
Gradually 2 tbsp. add hot milk, stirring constantly. Lumps will not form if you stir vigorously continuously. Once the sauce thickens, turn off the multicooker and remove the bowl.
Add half the grated cheese to the hot sauce and stir.
Beat the eggs a little and add to the sauce, mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. The sauce must be absolutely homogeneous. If the sauce turns out to be lumpy, you can beat it in a blender.
In a baking dish greased with butter, place the fried zucchini slightly overlapping.
Place boiled potato slices on the zucchini.
Place all the minced meat on the potatoes.
Place a second layer of zucchini on top of the minced meat.
Pour sauce on top.
Sprinkle the dish with the remaining cheese.
Bake the dish in the oven at 160 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

The cooking process may seem somewhat labor-intensive, but the result will exceed all your expectations! A tender vegetable casserole of zucchini and potatoes with aromatic meat filling, cheese sauce and a crispy crust on top will not leave anyone indifferent! It took me 3 hours to prepare the zucchini moussaka. Moussaka is usually served warm. Bon appetit!

Recipe for making moussaka with zucchini, minced meat and rice

Boil the rice in plenty of water until partially cooked. Drain the water and leave the rice to cool without a lid. It is very convenient to use a pan with a wide rim lid with holes for draining water.

Having finely chopped the onion and chopped the garlic, we send them to fry in vegetable oil. After frying a little, add minced meat to them. Fry the minced meat together with chopped onion and garlic, stirring occasionally.

Cut the tomatoes into cubes and also add them to the pan. Fry the tomatoes along with the minced meat. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf.

Using a grater designed for cabbage (slit), grate with very thin, long tongues. To dry the zucchini a little, grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil, lay out the zucchini on the baking sheet in several layers, and add salt. Place in a hot oven for 5-10 minutes until the bottom layer begins to dry out. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool.

Preparing bechamel sauce

In a small-diameter bowl, a small saucepan or ladle will do, melt the butter, add the flour, stirring quickly with a whisk, and let the flour fry in the butter for 2-3 minutes. Pour warm milk (not hot) in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a whisk, add salt to taste and bring the mixture to a boil. Whisk constantly to prevent the sauce from becoming lumpy. When the sauce boils and thickens slightly, turn off the heat.

Collecting moussaka

Place half-cooked rice in a frying pan greased with vegetable oil, distributing it evenly. Place the minced meat and tomatoes in the second layer; remove the bay leaves from the minced meat. We lay out the thin tongues of zucchini in the last layer. Pour the bechamel sauce over everything, pressing down with a spoon so that the sauce is distributed evenly. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Place in the oven for 25 minutes at 180 degrees.

Delicious moussaka with zucchini, minced meat and rice is ready!

Ingredients:

500 g minced pork
1 medium young zucchini
1 cup rice
1 onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 small tomatoes
150 g cheese
salt pepper
vegetable oil for frying

for bechamel sauce:

0.5 liters of warm milk (not hot)
50 g butter
2 tbsp. flour
salt pepper
grated nutmeg

Cooking features

Not every vegetable casserole can be called moussaka. In order for it to live up to its name, it must be prepared correctly. This task is not difficult, but still has its own characteristics that not only a novice housewife should know.

In traditional recipes, one of the main components of moussaka is eggplant. They can be part of a dish, even if it is prepared from zucchini. In this case, it is necessary to remove corned beef from the eggplants - a harmful substance due to which they have a bitter taste. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to get rid of it – salt can pull it out of vegetables. Simply sprinkle the eggplants with salt or dip them in a brine solution for 20 minutes, and no corned beef will remain in them. After this, all that remains is to rinse them well in running water so that they are not over-salted, and dry them with napkins.
Both eggplants and zucchini for moussaka require young ones. Eggplants are usually peeled; zucchini need not be peeled, but only if there is no damage to their peel.
Vegetables for moussaka should be cut into slices 5 to 10 mm thick, lengthwise or crosswise - it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that the vegetables completely cover the bottom of the pan in which the moussaka will be baked, forming a continuous bottom layer.
Zucchini and eggplant must be fried before placing them in the pan. Otherwise, you will have to wait too long for them to cook enough to become soft. There is no need to fry them until they are ready; just lightly brown them on both sides. After this, the fried vegetables must be placed on a napkin, and only after it has absorbed excess oil can they be transferred to a baking dish.
Despite the fact that moussaka can be vegetarian, most often minced meat is used to prepare it. Traditional recipes usually call for minced lamb, but it can be made from either beef or poultry. In any case, preference should be given to minced meat prepared by yourself, since no one can guarantee that sufficiently high-quality ingredients were used in the production of purchased stuff. The quality of the meat, in turn, plays an important role: you can’t make a tasty dish from bad minced meat.

Moussaka is an independent dish; no side dish is required. However, the option of serving it as a cold appetizer is not excluded; in some countries it is considered a salad.

Moussaka with zucchini and eggplant

eggplants – 0.6 kg;
zucchini – 0.3 kg;
minced meat – 0.5 kg;
tomatoes – 0.5 kg;
onions – 100 g;
flour – 30 g;
cream – 0.4 l;
chicken egg – 3 pcs.;
hard cheese – 0.3 kg;
salt, pepper - to taste;

Video recipe for the occasion

Cooking method:

Wash the eggplants, cut into circles 7–8 mm thick.
Prepare a brine solution using 10 g of salt per liter of water.
Immerse the eggplants in the solution. After 20 minutes, remove them and wash them well. Dry with a towel.
Wash and cut into circles approximately the same size as the eggplants and young zucchini.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Make small cross-shaped cuts on the tomatoes. They should be on the side opposite to where the stalks were. Boil water and place the tomatoes in it for a minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a pan of cold water to cool quickly. After this, the tomatoes need to be peeled.
Place the tomato pulp in a blender bowl and puree.
Finely grate the cheese and divide into two approximately equal parts.
Heat oil in a frying pan and add chopped onion. Fry it for a couple of minutes.
Add minced meat to the onion. Salt and pepper it. If desired, you can add a pinch of nutmeg.
Fry the minced meat for 7-8 minutes along with the onion, then pour the tomato puree into the pan with it. Simmer for 10–15 minutes until most of the liquid from the pan has evaporated.
In a clean frying pan, fry the zucchini and eggplant alternately.
Place eggplants on the bottom of the mold, place half of the minced meat on them, and smooth with a spoon.
Place the next layer of zucchini, cover them with the remaining minced meat.
Fry the flour in a dry frying pan. Gradually pour the cream into the pan and whisk it together with the flour to prepare a creamy sauce.
Cool the sauce slightly, add eggs to it, continuing to beat.
Add one part of the cheese to the sauce, whisk until the sauce looks even.
Pour the sauce over the vegetables and minced meat lying in the mold. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Place in the oven and turn it on. Cook the moussaka for 25 minutes after the oven temperature reaches 180 degrees.

Classic moussaka recipes involve using a small amount of wine when preparing minced meat, but it is not a necessary ingredient. If you still do not want to deviate from tradition, approximately halve the amount of tomatoes, replacing them with 100-150 ml of dry wine, red or white - it makes no difference.

Moussaka: classic recipe with Bechamel sauce without potatoes

To prepare moussaka with eggplant and minced meat, you need the following products:

butter – 50 g;
wheat flour – 2 tbsp. l.;
chicken egg – 1 pc.;
nutmeg – 1 tsp;
ground pepper – 1 tsp;
parmesan – 100 g;
milk – 1 tbsp.;
salt – 2 tsp;
minced chicken – 1 kg;
eggplants – 3 pcs.;
tomato paste – 200 g;
onion – 300 g;
bell pepper – 500 g;
olive oil – 5 tbsp. l.

How to cook Greek moussaka with eggplant without potatoes - step-by-step recipe with photos:

Start preparing this Greek delicacy by preparing the Bechamel sauce. After all, it is thanks to this sauce that moussaka with eggplant and minced meat turns out so tender and tasty.

Take a small deep frying pan, place butter in it and melt over heat. Be careful not to let the melted butter boil. Once it melts, add wheat flour to it.

Mix the ingredients vigorously with a spoon.

Keep the frying pan with oil and flour on the fire for about 1 minute. At the same time, constantly stir the ingredients combined in the pan so that they do not burn.

Set the pan with the butter-flour mixture aside while you prepare the other ingredients. Pass the Parmesan through a coarse grater.

Heat the milk in the microwave, but do not bring it to a boil.

Then place the frying pan with the butter-flour mixture on the fire and carefully add the milk into it. Mix the combined ingredients thoroughly.

Boil the mixture over the heat for about 1 minute, and then add a third of the grated Parmesan cheese to it.

Add salt, a pinch of nutmeg and ground pepper to the pan.

Constantly stir the combined ingredients until the cheese has melted and a fairly thick, homogeneous mixture is formed in the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and then pour the mixture into a clean, deep plate.

Beat the chicken egg into a deep ceramic container. Beat it thoroughly with a fork until a homogeneous foam forms.

Pour the beaten egg in a very thin stream into the future sauce.

Whisk all combined ingredients using a whisk. Bechamel sauce is ready.

To prevent a hard crust from forming on it, cover it with cling film and set aside.

In the meantime, start preparing other ingredients for preparing moussaka with minced meat and vegetables, Greek style.

Rinse the eggplants, dry with paper towels, cut off the tails, and then cut lengthwise into long, thin slices.

Salt the chopped eggplants and leave for 10 minutes. After the required time has passed, rinse them from salt and start frying.

Fry each piece of eggplant in a frying pan greased with olive oil on both sides.

Place the browned eggplant slices on a clean plate and cool.

While the eggplants are cooling, prepare the moussaka filling. First, prepare the peppers and onions.

Remove the stems from the peppers and cut out the core. Remove the skins from the onion.

Rinse the peeled vegetables in cold water and chop. Cut the pepper into thin strips and the onion into half rings.

Place the vegetables in a deep frying pan, add olive oil and fry on all sides. Stir the onion and pepper mixture occasionally with a wooden spatula to prevent the vegetables from burning.

When the ingredients are lightly browned, add the minced chicken to them.

Mix the ingredients in the pan thoroughly.

Cook the moussaka filling over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring constantly with a spatula.

Then add tomato paste to the pan with vegetables and minced meat. Don't forget to salt the ingredients.

Mix all the ingredients and simmer them under a closed lid for about 15 minutes. Get busy assembling the Greek moussaka.

Lightly grease a baking dish with the remaining olive oil and then place half the eggplant in the bottom.

Place the filling of peppers, onions and minced meat on the eggplant layer.

Place the remaining eggplant slices on top of the minced meat and vegetable filling.

Classic moussaka with eggplant and minced meat is almost ready.

Take a plate with Bechamel sauce, remove the cling film from it, and pour the cooled sauce into a baking dish.

Use a spoon to smooth it over the entire surface of the dish.

Sprinkle the future moussaka with eggplant and minced meat with the remaining grated Parmesan.

This eggplant delicacy is baked for about 40 minutes in an oven heated to 180 degrees.

When the cheese is completely melted and browned, the moussaka can be removed from the oven.

Moussaka with minced chicken, prepared according to the presented recipe, turns out very appetizing and aromatic.

It can be served with chopped fresh vegetables. The dish will look more beautiful on the table if you decorate it with dill or other herbs. Bon appetit!

Moussaka with zucchini and potatoes

young zucchini – 1 kg;
onions – 0.2 kg;
potatoes – 0.3 kg;
minced meat – 0.5 kg;
tomatoes – 0.3 kg;
butter – 70 g;
chicken egg – 2 pcs.;
oregano – 5 g;
cinnamon - a pinch;
walnuts – 50 g;
dry red wine – 100 ml;
cheese – 150 g;
flour – 50 g;
milk – 0.5 l;
salt, pepper - to taste;
vegetable oil - how much will be needed.

Cooking method:

Cut the zucchini into slices about half a centimeter thick and lightly fry in vegetable oil.
Chop the peeled onion and place it in a frying pan with heated oil.
After a couple of minutes, add the minced meat to the onions and fry them together for 10 minutes.
While you fry the minced meat, pour boiling water over it and peel the tomatoes. Puree them using a blender.
Add the tomato mass to the minced meat. Salt it and season it with pepper, oregano and cinnamon. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Pour in the wine and continue to simmer until almost all the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices.
Melt the butter in a clean frying pan, add flour to it, mix well, whisking. Add milk while continuing to whisk.
Remove from heat. Gradually add eggs, chopped walnuts, and finely grated cheese into the sauce.
Place half the zucchini in the bottom of the baking dish, top with potato slices and season with salt and pepper.
Place the minced meat and cover it with the remaining zucchini. Pour in the sauce.
Cook in the oven at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.

Moussaka, made from zucchini with potatoes and minced meat, has a balanced taste, which many of our compatriots especially liked.

Moussaka with zucchini is a tasty and healthy dish that can be prepared on weekdays and served at the holiday table.

This Greek dish includes both a meat component and a side dish. It requires no additions and is surprisingly tasty. There are many recipes for Greek moussaka with eggplant, and any option will please the most demanding gourmet.

Moussaka is not a national Greek dish. It has an author, the famous Greek chef Nikos Tselemendis. He was a supporter of not only national, but also European cuisine, so the recipe he invented whimsically combines traditional Greek vegetables and lamb, and exquisite French bechamel.

Finger-licking delicious.

The recipe is only about a hundred years old, but moussaka is enjoyed in all countries. There are many options for preparing it with different ingredients, but it all started with classic Greek moussaka.

This dish cannot be called low-calorie or dietary, but how delicious it is! When preparing, do not spare spices and olive oil.

What is important is that according to the classic recipe, Greek moussaka is prepared only from lamb. Well, as a last resort - from beef.

Of course, you can take pork or chicken, but it won’t be the same.

Ingredients:

4 small eggplants with a total weight of about 700 g;
already twisted minced meat - 0.5 kg;
2 onions;
several ripe tomatoes with a total weight of about 300 g;
hard cheese – 75 g;
dry white wine 150 ml;
olive oil – 2 tbsp. spoons.

Moussaka should be topped with sauce. For it you need to take:

hard cheese – 150 g;
2 chicken eggs;
400 ml milk;
2 tbsp. spoons of flour;
butter – 75 g.

We will season the sauce with a pinch of grated nutmeg, and the minced meat with dry herbs to suit your taste.

How to cook:

If the eggplants are bitter, cut them into rings without peeling them and sprinkle them with salt. In 20 minutes. washed and dried.
Tomatoes are peeled, for which they should first be scalded.
Fry the eggplant rings over high heat, adding oil. It usually takes 1 minute for them to brown.
Sauté the onion, cut into half rings, in oil until it becomes transparent. Add minced meat, knead and fry for 5 minutes. Season with herbs, add wine and simmer until all the liquid evaporates. At the end of stewing, add salt to taste.
Simmer the tomatoes, cut into circles.

Prepare the sauce separately:

fry the flour in butter until golden brown;
dilute with warm milk, adding it in portions and thoroughly kneading until smooth;
heat until sour cream thickens, turn off the heat;
lightly beaten eggs are mixed into the sauce so that they do not curdle;
All that remains is finely grated cheese, add to the sauce, season with nutmeg and salt and mix well.

Next, cover the bottom of a tall baking dish with eggplants (take ½ part), place half the minced meat and cover with half the tomatoes. Lay out the products again in the same sequence, pour in the sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Bake the dish in a hot oven for about half an hour.

The liquid should evaporate completely, but the food should not be allowed to burn.

Before serving, allow the dish to steep for a quarter of an hour.

Homemade moussaka recipe

The recipe includes the basic components of Greek moussaka (eggplant, meat, bechamel, cheese) with a little improvisation (no nutmeg, but sun-dried tomatoes). The classic recipe is presented at the end of the page.

Ingredients

eggplants – 1 kg
onion - 2
minced beef (lamb) - 500 grams
tomatoes - 3 medium
sun-dried tomatoes - 4-5 pcs.
dry red wine – 150 ml
cheese - 100 grams
butter - 70 grams
milk - 1 glass
flour - 1.5 tbsp. spoons
spices, salt, pepper, olive oil

How to cook moussaka

Eggplant for moussaka. The basis of the moussaka is layers of eggplant, due to which the appetizer holds its shape when served portionwise. For a perfect serving, take young fruits without ripened seeds.

To peel or not to peel eggplants for moussaka? In a traditional dish, vegetables are used with the skin, but you can also peel them completely or remove them in strips. When baked, the skin will become soft and practically not noticeable in the dish. If you decide to leave, then choose eggplants without dark spots.

How to cut? The shape of the cut does not play a big role - cut lengthwise to get plates, or crosswise into circles. The main thing is that the eggplant pieces fit well into the mold, without leaving empty spaces between them. Take this into account when choosing the cutting shape. The thickness of the pieces is 0.5-1 cm.

Then the eggplants should be thermally processed . How? They can be blanched, baked in the oven, or fried in a frying pan (grill pan).

If you bake in the oven or fry, place the chopped eggplants in a bowl, add salt and leave for 20 minutes to release the bitterness. Rinse under running water and dry. Then fry with a little oil. It is worth remembering that eggplants absorb a lot of oil when frying, and when they are ready, they release the oil back. Knowing this feature, use a minimum of fat - only to lubricate the bottom of the pan, and then place the eggplants on a sieve to allow the oil to drain.

To bake in the oven, brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil.

Minced meat for moussaka. Fry the minced beef in olive oil. Stir all the time and break up any lumps.

Peel and chop the onion. Cut the tomatoes in half and grate the pulp on a coarse grater, discard the skin. Add onions and tomatoes to the minced meat.

Stir and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes. Then pour in the wine. Which wine is better? Opinions differ on this matter, choose according to your taste - red, white, or even brandy.

Add spices to the minced meat: bay leaf, oregano, allspice, cinnamon, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon zest, chili pepper flakes - to your taste.

Turn the heat to low and evaporate the liquid, bringing the minced meat until cooked and remembering to stir from time to time. The finished minced meat should be dry and the liquid should be completely evaporated.

Prepare bechamel sauce . Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour; a whisk works great for this. Aim for a thick roux (flour and milk base). Set the heat under the saucepan to minimum. Let the butter and flour almost boil.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour in the milk in a thin stream while stirring constantly. Warm the milk slightly before adding.

The sauce will change before your eyes: at first it will be liquid, and after a couple of minutes it will begin to turn into a thick, creamy consistency.

So, the base sauce is ready, but it can be supplemented with grated cheese or egg yolk, and seasoned with nutmeg.

When all the components of the moussaka are ready, you can start assembling. For this purpose you will need a baking dish with sides.

Assembly and laying out. First, form the bottom layer of eggplant, placing the largest pieces tightly together.

Sprinkle with grated cheese.

The next layer consists of minced meat.

Cover the minced meat with a layer of eggplant. If the shape and quantity of products allows, the styling can be increased by a couple more layers. The last layer is definitely eggplant - they are sprinkled with cheese and poured with bechamel sauce.

Sprinkle the top with cheese.

Cover the pan with foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and cook for another 15-20 minutes.

Serving moussaka. Before serving, moussaka should (if you have the patience) cool down: lukewarm or cold, it is perfectly cut into portioned pieces.

Cooking option with potatoes

The cooking technology is the same. If you add 300 g of sliced potatoes to the ingredients specified in the previous recipe, the dish will have a different taste.

Potatoes must first be fried until half cooked or baked in the oven for 10 minutes. When forming a dish, it is placed in the first layer. The baking time for Greek moussaka with eggplant and potatoes will have to be extended a little, since potato slices take longer to cook than all the other ingredients.

With the addition of zucchini - step by step

Moussaka with zucchini is easy to prepare; they add a special taste and juiciness to the dish.

With zucchini the dish will be juicier and tastier.

Ingredients:

3 eggplants;
1 zucchini squash;
1 onion;
5 tomatoes;
500 g of already rolled minced lamb or veal;
300 g hard cheese;
4 tbsp. spoons of flour;
2 glasses of milk;
70 g butter;
4 tbsp. spoons of olive oil.

The dish is seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.

How to cook:

Eggplants and zucchini cut into thin slices are sprinkled with salt.
After a quarter of an hour, wipe them of juice and lightly fry with the addition of olive oil.
Peeled tomatoes are chopped, as are onions.
Sauté onions in oil for 3-5 minutes.
Add minced meat to it, mix and bring until half cooked.
Add tomatoes to the semi-finished ingredients, season with spices and mix.
Fry the flour in butter for 3-4 minutes. The mixture should be homogeneous, without lumps.
Dilute it little by little with slightly warmed milk, achieving homogeneity after each serving.
Remove the sauce from the heat, then mix it with half the finely grated cheese.
Divide the zucchini and eggplants into 3 parts, and the minced meat in half.

Next, place a third of the eggplants and zucchini on the bottom of a deep baking dish, then half of the minced meat, which is sprinkled with half of the remaining cheese, again a third of the eggplants and zucchini, the remaining minced meat, cheese, and then the zucchini and eggplants on top. All. Pour the prepared bechamel over the moussaka and bake in a not too hot oven for about 40 minutes.

After baking, the moussaka should cool slightly before serving, so its taste will become brighter and richer, and it will not disintegrate when cut.

Vegetarian moussaka Greek style

This recipe is for those who do not eat meat in any form, but do not deny themselves eggs and milk. The dish is not similar to the classic Greek moussaka with minced meat, although it is prepared using the same technology. But that certainly doesn’t make it any less tasty.

The dish is perfect for a pleasant evening dinner with the family.

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized carrots and onions;
a small celery root weighing 100 g;
5 potatoes;
0.5 kg asparagus green beans;
0.5 cups rice;
4 eggs;
2/3 cup milk;
olive oil as needed.

In this recipe, the pouring sauce is made from a mixture of milk and eggs, but you can also make classic bechamel.

How to cook:

Three carrots and celery on a grater, chop the onion. Fry vegetables until soft.
Boil rice and beans until tender. We cut the last one into pieces.
Three boiled and peeled potatoes on a grater with large holes.
Make the sauce by mixing lightly beaten eggs with milk. You can add your favorite dried herbs to it.
Place the potatoes in a greased baking dish, first, and then the rest of the ingredients in layers.
Pour the sauce over everything and shake the pan so that it saturates each layer.

Vegetarian moussaka bakes in half the time of a traditional dish - only 20 minutes. in a hot oven at 200 degrees.

Diet moussaka with vegetables

Classic Greek moussaka is a high-calorie dish. It can be made lighter and leaner by replacing the minced meat with rice, carrots or low-calorie zucchini.

Ingredients:

potatoes – 10 pcs;
carrots – 4 pcs;
rice cereal – 250 g;
green beans – 900 g;
celery stalks – 200 g;
chicken eggs – 8 pcs;
milk – 400 ml;
onions – 3-4 pcs;
olive oil – 130 ml.

Finely chop the celery, grate the carrots, peel the onions and cut into small cubes. Fry the vegetables in olive oil until golden brown. Separately, boil the potato tubers, rice and beans until tender.

Cut the boiled beans and potatoes into small slices. Place the prepared ingredients in a heat-resistant form, greased with oil in this order - potatoes, onions and carrots, risk and green beans.

Beat eggs with milk and pour this mixture over dietary moussaka. If desired, you can prepare a creamy sauce according to the classic recipe. After this, place the casserole in an oven heated to 180° for 20-25 minutes.

Greek moussaka is a delicious and appetizing dish that will be a hearty and nutritious lunch for the whole family. A huge number of interpretations of the classic casserole allows you to take a fresh look at the classic dish and make its taste more original and interesting.

With eggplant and rice

There is very little rice in this dish, but it is it that absorbs the delicious juice that the meat and vegetables release.

Ingredients:

2 eggplants with a total weight of about 500 g;
100 g rice;
2 pcs. onions and large tomatoes;
a couple of cloves of garlic;
olive or vegetable oil - how much will be needed;
2 tbsp. spoons of flour and butter;
2 glasses of milk;
100 g hard cheese, ideally Parmesan;
500 g minced pork or mixed with beef;
a pinch of grated nutmeg.

Salt and pepper are added to taste.

How to cook:

Peel the eggplants, cut them into lengthwise slices and soak for half an hour in well-salted water. Wash and dry on a napkin.
Fry on both sides until golden brown, but without drying out.
Cook the rice until almost done.
Fry finely chopped onion until golden brown, adding chopped garlic.
After adding the minced meat, fry a little more, add some salt and simmer with the addition of finely chopped tomatoes for 5-7 minutes.

Cooking moussaka in a slow cooker will take a minimum of time.

Ingredients:

2 small eggplants;
bulb;
2 tbsp. spoons of sour cream, flour;
0.5 kg minced meat;
1 tbsp. a spoonful of tomato paste and butter;
2 eggs;
150 g hard cheese;
clove of garlic.

Spices and salt to taste and desire. In a slow cooker, moussaka is prepared a little differently, but it still turns out very tasty.

How to cook:

Cut the eggplants into circles half a centimeter thick, without peeling them.
Sprinkle with salt and let sit for about half an hour. Wash and dry. In this case, there is no need to fry them.
Chop the garlic and onion, fry with a piece of butter in a multicooker bowl in the “Baking” mode until golden brown.
Add the minced meat, season with salt, pepper and spices, fry for another 20 minutes.
Stir with tomato paste and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Mix cheese, eggs and sour cream, add salt and gradually add flour, achieving homogeneity of the sauce.
Place eggplant slices on the minced meat, pour in the sauce and cook in the “Baking” mode for another third of an hour. We make sure that the “blue” vegetables brown.

cooking method

According to this culinary recipe, we wash the eggplants, cut off the stems, and set two of them aside. Cut the remaining eggplants lengthwise into thin slices, sprinkle with salt, place in a colander and soak in water for about 20 minutes. Then pour olive oil into a wide frying pan and heat it. Dry the eggplant slices dry and fry them in a frying pan, 5-6 pieces at a time. until golden brown. Remove and place on paper napkins to drain off all the fat. Peel the onion and finely chop it. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, remove the skin, remove the seeds and coarsely chop the pulp. Cut the garlic cloves into halves, sprinkle with salt and crush. Wash the chili pepper, cut off the stem, cut and remove the seeds, then finely chop. Add olive oil to a frying pan, perhaps the one in which the eggplants were fried, then reduce the heat and fry the minced lamb thoroughly over high heat. After this, remove the lamb from the pan, pour in 1 tbsp. l. olive oil and fry the onion there until transparent. Then add tomatoes, chili peppers and garlic, season with ground pepper, oregano and sugar, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 200° C. Place the two reserved eggplants on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 5 minutes in the oven. Then separate the pulp from the skin, chop finely and add to the tomato along with minced lamb. Cook all these ingredients over low heat for 10 minutes and add salt to taste. Grease a large mold with oil and sprinkle with 2 tbsp. l. breadcrumbs. Then we lay out the fried eggplants in a star-shape, starting from the middle to the edges of the form, they should hang down a little, and add the meat mixture, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and cover with the remaining eggplant slices. Cover the top with aluminum foil. Bake in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 30 minutes. Makes a great meal for dinner. Moussaka with eggplant is ready!