Moussaka with lamb, tomatoes and herbs

Step-by-step preparation

Cooking time: 1 hr 30 mins

1. STEP 1

   

   1. First of all, we prepare all the necessary preparations. We cut the onion into small cubes, we will use it in minced meat, then we also cut the tomatoes into cubes; a large variety is better for this dish. After the onions and tomatoes are chopped, chop the eggplant, separate the tails and cut into 1 centimeter thick rings. Place the resulting pieces into a bowl and salt them intensively in case the eggplant turns out to be too bitter.

2. STEP 2

   

   2. The next step is to prepare the necessary ingredients for the sauce. First of all, grate the Parmesan, we need half a glass of grated cheese. Then we also prepare the spices; you can buy them ready-made in the store, or make them yourself (grind them in a mortar).

3. STEP 3

   

   3. After all the necessary preparations have been made, we begin cooking. Pour olive/sunflower oil into an already preheated frying pan and add the onion, then fry. After it acquires a golden color, add minced meat and bring the mixture to readiness.

4. STEP 4

   

   4. The next step is to add diced tomatoes, spices, chopped garlic, mint and bay leaf to the resulting minced meat. Also at this stage you will need to add pepper and salt to the dish to taste. Then cover the minced meat with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. While the meat is stewing, let's prepare the eggplant. After being in salt for a long time, the rings must be washed with water and dried; the residual bitterness should come out of them thanks to this method.

5. STEP 5

   

   5. After 15 minutes, transfer the resulting minced meat into a container (do not pour it, just transfer it), and pour a small amount of flour onto a separate plate, then roll the eggplant rings in it. We then transfer these rings to the board to let them stand for a few minutes. After the eggplant rings have steeped, fry them in a frying pan for one minute on each side.

6. STEP 6

   

   6. We begin to lay out the toasted rings on a baking sheet so that they overlap each other. Place the previously prepared minced meat on top and level the layer. Then lay out a second layer of eggplant and another layer of minced meat.

7. STEP 7

   

   7. After we have prepared the base of our moussaka, we move on to the sauce. Mix one egg and one and a half glasses of heated milk in a blender. Then heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan and add a little flour there. When the butter and flour are fried, pour in the previously obtained mixture of milk and egg, pour in the cheese, herbs and stir it all well. Pour the resulting sauce onto a baking sheet with minced meat, and level it like all previous layers.

8. STEP 8

   

   8. Finally, when all the above steps have been completed, we send our dish to the oven, preheated to 200 degrees, for 25 - 30 minutes. After the specified time has passed, you can take out the moussaka and try it. Bon appetit!