Not a Greek moussaka which includes a creamy bechamel sauce, but a Middle Eastern moussaka, this dish is a combination of tender buttery eggplant and flavorful ground beef. It takes a bit of work but offers a show stopping presentation.
It is best to make this in an 8-9 inch springform round pan for the best presentation.
Ingredients
Servings 8 servings
Eggplant
- 3 eggplants sliced ¼-inch thick horizontally
- 1 eggplant sliced ¼-inch thick vertically
- Coarse salt
- Oil for brushing the eggplant
For the filling
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 ¼ pounds ground beef
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 bunch parsley chopped
- 1 15-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon baharat
- ½ teaspoon chili powder optional
- 2 tablespoons silan date syrup
- 1-2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch on Passover
- 5 tablespoons water
Garnish
- ½ cup toasted pine nuts
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- Chopped parsley
Nutritional Facts
Nutrition Facts
Eggplant Moussaka
Amount per Serving
Calories
557
% Daily Value*
Fat
40
g
62
%
Saturated Fat
11
g
69
%
Trans Fat
2
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
6
g
Monounsaturated Fat
18
g
Cholesterol
91
mg
30
%
Sodium
746
mg
32
%
Potassium
1141
mg
33
%
Carbohydrates
27
g
9
%
Fiber
9
g
38
%
Sugar
16
g
18
%
Protein
27
g
54
%
Vitamin A
218
IU
4
%
Vitamin C
13
mg
16
%
Calcium
77
mg
8
%
Iron
4
mg
22
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Instructions
- Lay eggplant slices out on a tray or counter and sprinkle all over with salt. Let them sit until water begins to bead on the surface, about 30 minutes. Rinse slices and pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 400℉/200℃. Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper and spread eggplant evenly on pan. Brush generously with oil and roast in preheated oven for about 30 minutes until golden. Do this in as many batches as needed.
- Meanwhile prepare filling. Heat oil in a wide pan, add onion and saute until brown.Add meat and cook until the color changes. Add garlic, parsley, tomatoes, baharat, chili powder if using, silan, salt, and pepper. Mix cornstarch with water and pour over top. Mix well. Remove from heat.
- To assemble. Line springform pan with parchment paper. Layer eggplant circles overlapping on the bottom of the pan. Layer the large slices on the sides with the top halves falling over the top of the pan.
- Pour meat filling into the center and fold the top of the eggplant halves over top to enclose the meat. Cover with parchment paper and bake in 400℉/200℃ for 30 minutes.
- To serve, remove sides and put a plate over top before flipping it over for the most gorgeous presentation. Garnish with pomegranate arils, toasted pine nuts and parsley.
Fabulous my turkish family traditional recipe with tsatkas
The nutritional values are obviously for the entire recipe. We can't figure out the per serving values without knowing how many servings it makes.
The nutritional values are off but don't seem to be for the entire recipe for everything as the protein numbers don't match.
Thanks for pointing it out we will fix it