Discover How to Make Greek Moussaka

Although the original recipe includes milk and meat, you can make vegetarian Greek moussaka by substituting these ingredients with almond milk and wheat gluten.

Moussaka is a really delicious Greek dish. It’s a bit similar to Italian lasagna, although Greek moussaka only has three layers. Nonetheless, the most striking feature of this dish is the use of the most typical Greek vegetable: eggplant.

Generally, moussaka is served at lunch as a single dish or main course. It’s a very nutritious and tasty food that will definitely satisfy you and provide the energy you need to face the day.

Greek Moussaka

The recipe that we present below is intended for approximately four to six people. If you have to make moussaka for more people, just adjust the ingredients.

If you decide to modify the recipe, make sure to not leave out the olive oil and the seasonings we mentioned because they’re are the ones that give Greek moussaka its characteristic flavor.

Ingredients for the base

• Olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• 1 small onion
• ½ kilo of eggplants (1 pound)
• 1 tablespoon of oregano (15 g)
• Minced lamb (400 g)
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste (20 g)
• 3 tablespoons of white wine (45 ml)
• 1½ teaspoons of grated Parmesan cheese (30 g)
• Seasoning: coarse sea salt

Ingredients for the béchamel sauce

• 2 cups of milk (500 ml)
• 2 tablespoons of margarine (40 g)
• ½ cup of flour (60 g)
• Seasonings: fine salt, black pepper, nutmeg

Preparation of the béchamel sauce

1. Melt the margarine in a frying pan over medium heat. Once it’s liquid enough, add the flour and mix well with slow movements. The flour should toast during this process.
2. Heat the milk in a pot over medium heat. Once it boils, turn off the heat.
3. Add the milk to the flour and margarine mixture. Keep stirring so no lumps form.
4. Let cook for five minutes so it reaches the right consistency. Then, turn off the heat and season with a hint of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg.

Preparation of the Greek moussaka

1. First, wash and cut the eggplant into thin slices. Then, place them in a container and proceed to sprinkle them with coarse sea salt. Let the slices sit for an hour.
2. Then, place a frying pan over medium heat five minutes before the hour is over.
3. Dry the eggplants with absorbent paper and proceed to fry them in plenty of oil. They should be golden brown on both sides.
4. Once they’re ready, drain them well and reserve on a plate.
5. Meanwhile, marinate the lamb meat with vinegar, toasted walnuts, and olive oil.
6. Peel and chop the onion and stir fry it in a pan with two tablespoons of tomato paste. Then, add a touch of white wine and oregano.
7. Let the sauce cook over low heat for approximately half an hour.
8. Preheat oven to 350°F.
9. In another pan, cook the lamb until it reaches its midpoint. Once ready, set aside.
10. When the sauce is ready, season it with salt and some freshly ground black pepper and stir.
11. Pour the tomato sauce over the meat and onions and stir.
12. Grease a baking pan with a little olive oil. Sprinkle some bread crumbs all over the pan and then place a layer of fried eggplant slices.
13. Over the eggplant, add a layer of meat and another layer of béchamel sauce.
14. Repeat until you assemble three layers. The last layer should be béchamel sauce.
15. Bake for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. This way, the Greek moussaka will cook well and brown a bit.

It’s worth mentioning that there are many ways to prepare moussaka because everyone adds their favorite ingredients. However, it’s important for the seasoning to remain the same so you can enjoy the original Mediterranean flavor.