Ingredients:
– 2 Large Eggplants
– 4 Tablespoons of Salt
– 5 to 6 potatoes Sliced
– 500g mince beef
– Olive oil for frying
– 4 cloves of garlic diced or 1 Diced Onion
– 2 can of diced Italian Tomatoes
– 140g of Tomato Paste
– 2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce
– 3 Carrots Diced
– 1 teaspoon of Veggie Stock
– 1 cup of water for Veggie Stock
– 2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup
– 1/2 to 1 cup parmesan cheese
– For the Bechamel Sauce
– 2 cups Milk
– 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
– 2.5 tablespoons of All Purpose Flour
– Nutmeg and Salt to taste
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius or 356 degrees farenheit)
2. Wash and cut eggplant into thick slices
3. Place them in a bowl and add a generous amount of salt, cover with a towel and set aside.
4. Heat up saucepan and add olive oil. Add garlic and soften before adding tomato paste. Place on low heat and simmer for 10 mins. Stirring occasionally.
5. Introduce the minced beef on medium heat. Continue to stir until meat begins to very lightly brown.
6. Add carrots and diced Italian Tomatoes, continue to stir until sauce begins to simmer. Cover, reduce to low heat and set timer for 20 mins. Give a stir from time to time.
7. Prepare veggie stock, using the bowl from the tomato paste or tub of tomato paste, add water and veggie stock. Mix altogether.
8. Once the sauce has simmered for 20 mins add veggie stock to the sauce. Add Soy sauce and maple syrup. Let it simmer on low heat for 30 mins, stirring occasionally.
9. Wrap eggplants in a towel and give it a good shake to remove excess moisture.
10. Heat up a pan with oil. Fry eggplants until golden brown and add salt.
11. Prepare bechemal sauce. In a seperate saucepan, heat up the milk (I like to use my coffee milk jug with thermometer). In a seperate saucepan melt butter and slowly whisk in the flour. Once thickened, slowly pour in the milk whisking it into a smooth consitncy. Add a inch of cinnamon and salt to taste. Make sure you taste test to adjust.
12. Let’s layer. In a baking dish, add a samll layer of bechamel sacuce. Begin to layer with eggplants, potatoes, and meat sauce, repeat the process beginning with eggplant. For the final layer pour in the bechamel sauce and add a genorus amount of parmesan cheese.
13. Place in the preheated oven at 180 degrees celcius or (356 degrees farenheit) for 1 hour or until potatoes have cooked through.
14. Once cooked, let moussaka rest for 10 to 15 mins. Then time to Enjoy!
Now it’s time to prepare our creamy vegetable sauce in a sauce bin melt some batter and gradually mix in the flour slowly pour in the warm milk wicking it into a smooth consistency add a pinch of cinnamon and salt tasting to Perfection now let’s get to the exciting part
Layering in your baking dish start with a small layer of bmal sauce a tip from my mom begin to layer with eggplants followed by potatoes and our meat sauce repeat the process beginning with the eggplants top it off with bamal sauce and don’t forget a generous sprinkle of
Grated parmesian cheese on top Slide the Masterpiece into the oven for about an hour or until the potatoes are tender and the flavors are melted together beautifully once it’s done let your musaka rest for 10 to 15 minutes then it’s time to Plate it up and enjoy this delightful musaka enjoy