Diet moussaka recipe. Step-by-step recipe for Greek moussaka with eggplant and minced meat

Greek moussaka with minced meat, eggplant and potatoes step by step with photos

Moussaka with minced meat is the hallmark of Mediterranean cuisine. No one knows the exact history of this dish; it is prepared in many countries, and there are as many cooking options as there are countries themselves. In Greece, eggplants are added to meat; in the Serbian version, tomatoes are offered; in Bulgaria, potatoes are offered. In Arab countries, the dish is served as a cold salad with tomatoes and eggplants. By the way, the origin of the word “moussaka” (emphasis on the last syllable) is Arabic, and it means “chilled”.

I suggest you familiarize yourself with the recipe for Greek moussaka, so beloved by all tourists. In Greece, moussaka is served in both inexpensive cafes and luxury restaurants. But you don’t have to go anywhere to try this delicious casserole; the proposed recipe with photos is as close as possible to the classic Greek one and can easily be used at home. To prepare you will need eggplants, some potatoes, minced lamb and the traditional filling - Bechamel sauce. And of course, almost no Greek dish is complete without cheese and olive oil. Vegetables for casserole can be pre-fried or baked in the oven - do what you like best. In the first version, olive oil is used to lubricate the pan, in the second - vegetables.

Olive oil is a truly Greek product. Virgin oil is the healthiest, it contains a lot of fatty acids (oleic, omega 3 and 9), vitamins A, D, E, K. It is believed that such oil is not used for frying, since all the benefits disappear under the influence of high temperature. But contrary to general opinion, many Italian, Greek, and French chefs fry exclusively with it. There is a way to preserve the maximum benefits of olive oil: fry foods over low to medium heat. If the oil begins to burn and smoke, the temperature has been exceeded. You can also bake vegetables in the oven - the oil will definitely not burn there, if you set the timer, of course.

Greek moussaka is vaguely reminiscent of Italian lasagna, the recipe for which is located. Only instead of dough a vegetable layer is used. Initially, the Greek recipe calls for only eggplants, but modern modifications allow the addition of potatoes and zucchini. Greek eggplant and potato casserole is very filling and stands out a bit among the low-calorie Mediterranean dishes. Traditionally, it is prepared with minced lamb, but it also turns out quite tasty and juicy with pork and beef. You can even try using minced turkey or chicken if you need to reduce the fat content of the dish. What else gives the casserole its flair? This is red wine that is added during the stewing process of meat. And a special Mediterranean aroma is given to the meat dish by a cinnamon stick and mint. How to prepare juicy and tasty moussaka step by step? I'm sharing the recipe!

Ingredients:

for moussaka:

3 eggplants (600-700 g);
4 large potato tubers (600-700 g);
3 small tomatoes (300 g);
1 small onion (300 g);
500 g minced lamb or pork and beef;
200 g mozzarella;
100 ml. dry red wine;
2 cloves of garlic;
salt, pepper to taste;
cinnamon stick;
a few mint leaves;
extra virgin olive oil.

for bechamel sauce:

1 l. milk;
100 g butter;
3 tbsp. flour;
a pinch of nutmeg;
0.5 tsp Provençal herbs.

Greek moussaka recipe with eggplant, potatoes, minced meat and bechamel sauce

1. Cut the washed eggplants into slices about half a centimeter thick.

2. Salt and leave for 20-30 minutes so that the pieces release juice, which will remove all the bitterness from the eggplant.

3. Cut the potatoes into slices approximately the same thickness as the eggplants.

4. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, lightly spray with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees. It should become soft and brown a little on top.

5. Make cuts on the tomato skin to make it easier to remove.

6. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and leave for 5 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion.

Tip: To avoid crying while cutting, chew something, or rinse the knife with cold water.

8. Place the onion in a frying pan with heated olive oil and saute until half cooked.

9. Add the minced meat to the onion and break it up with a spatula, then mix with the onion.

10. You can now remove the skin from the tomatoes. Cut the fruits into small cubes.

11. The minced meat has set and meat juice has started to come out.

12. It's time to add tomatoes to the minced meat.

13. Pour in red wine.

14. Add spices: mint and cinnamon stick.

15. Add water and simmer over low heat.

16. Wash the eggplants and squeeze out the juice, dry with paper towels.

17. We also bake the eggplants until soft (about 20 minutes), brushing a little olive oil on top.

18. Not a single moussaka is complete without Bechamel sauce. Interestingly, the origin of the fill is not Greek, but French! The preparation of the sauce is described in detail. So, melt half the butter over low heat, add flour and mix immediately. Now add warm milk in small portions, stirring continuously. Add salt and pepper, stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes after boiling. Now turn off the heat, add the remaining oil and cover the pan with a lid until it is completely dissolved. Bechamel is ready. It will thicken a little as it hardens.

19. Half of the liquid from the pan has evaporated, leaving the minced meat in the sauce. You can take out a cinnamon stick (it has already served its purpose), add squeezed garlic, stir and remove the pan from the stove.

20. Grate the mozzarella on a fine grater.

21. We begin to assemble moussaka with potatoes and eggplants. Grease the bottom of the pan with bechamel sauce.

22. Place a layer of eggplants in the mold, placing the circles tightly to each other.

23. Place minced meat on top.

24. Sprinkle with a little cheese.

25. Place potatoes and cover with sauce.

26. The next layer is minced meat again.

27. And again sprinkle with cheese.

28. Lay out the remaining eggplants.

29. Pour in all the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Place the moussaka with eggplant in a preheated oven and bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.

30. The moussaka is baked, the cheese is beautifully browned. You can garnish the Greek casserole with a sprig of mint and serve. Bon appetit!

I consider myself part of the community of vegetable lovers because of their low calorie content and benefits for the body. But if they are prepared by frying them in a huge amount of vegetable oil, and before that, rolling them in flour, then all their benefits disappear, covered with a layer of fat, even vegetable fat. Classic moussaka, although it consists mainly of vegetables, is not a dietary dish. But we will go a different way. :wink:

But you just need to give up frying eggplants in a dish called moussaka. Do you think it will be tasteless? Not at all.

So, we will need:

3 eggplants

3 potatoes

200 grams of young cheese

300 grams of minced meat

a little vegetable oil

Diet moussaka

Let's start cooking.

Let's start with the main component of moussaka - eggplant. Following the classics, eggplants need to be kept in salt so that the excess bitterness that we don’t need is removed from them. To do this, we cut clean eggplants into circles (thin ones are better and more elegant) and sprinkle them with salt. And let it sit for 30 minutes:

After this, we rinse the eggplants from excess salt, squeeze them out, sprinkle them with vegetable oil and put them in the microwave for 5 minutes at the highest power:

Fry the minced meat, or in a slow cooker for 20 minutes:

During this time, peel and cut the potatoes into thin slices. And three cheese on a fine grater.

And we begin to collect moussaka. Grease the mold with vegetable oil, add eggplant slices:

And potatoes:

Finally grated cheese:

And into the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes. And here is the result:

Dishes that embody the national characteristics of a particular country amaze with their flavor combinations. This also applies to such a dish as Greek moussaka with eggplant, the recipe of which is sought after by any housewife who has once tasted it.

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 moussaka with potatoes and eggplant. 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 bechamel sauce.

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

In the cuisines of different countries there are certain varieties of the dish. 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 of a vegetable diet. 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

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 considered to be moussaka with eggplant, which includes chicken meat; the dish is dietary and low-calorie.

Ingredients:

eggplants – 1 kg;
onions – 2 pcs.;
tomatoes – 3 pcs.;
butter – 60 g;
flour – 4 tbsp. l.;
milk – 0.5 l;
eggs – 2 pcs.;
cheese – 200 g;
chicken – 0.5 kg.

Preparation

Cut and fry the eggplants.
Boil the chicken, cut it.
Fry onions and tomatoes, add to meat.
Make béchamel sauce.
Lay out in layers, pour over the sauce, sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 45 minutes.

Moussaka is a bright representative of traditional Greek cuisine. It's essentially a layered vegetable casserole with fried minced meat, topped with a creamy cheese sauce. Because of its similarity to the famous Italian masterpiece, moussaka is also called “vegetable lasagne.” One of its famous variations is Greek moussaka with eggplant. The recipe is suggested to be used for both festive and everyday tables. Moussaka is a very filling and beautiful dish. At the same time, it is very high in calories and is far from dietary: it can feed a large company or serve as a full-fledged family dinner. Moussaka does not require any additional garnish due to the presence of a variety of vegetables, which also make it healthy. This dish is especially suitable for those who willingly include eggplants in their diet. After all, in this dish they are especially tender, juicy and aromatic.

Moussaka with eggplant

To prepare moussaka you will need:

4 eggplants (about 700 g);
500 g minced meat;
2 onions;
4-5 tomatoes (about 300 g);
75 g hard cheese;
150 ml dry white wine;
50 ml vegetable oil, preferably olive oil.

In the classic recipe for Greek moussaka with eggplant, lamb or beef is used to prepare minced meat. As a last resort, you can mix beef and pork in a 1:1 ratio.

To prepare the sauce you will need:

400 ml milk;
150 g hard cheese;
2 tbsp. l. flour;
2 eggs;
75 g butter;
a pinch of grated nutmeg.

Product preparation:

Preparing the sauce:

Melt butter in a preheated saucepan.
Add flour to the butter and fry it, stirring constantly, until slightly golden brown, carefully breaking up any lumps.
Pour in the warmed milk little by little. Continuing to stir constantly, bring the mass to a homogeneous consistency and thickening (the sauce should have the density of liquid sour cream). Remove from heat.
Beat the eggs a little with a fork and carefully add them into the sauce, trying to do it quickly so that they do not have time to curdle due to the temperature.
Grate the cheese on a fine grater. Stir it into the egg-milk mixture while it is warm to melt it. Season the mixture with nutmeg, add salt to taste and mix well.

Greek moussaka with eggplant

Moussaka preparation process:

All layers are repeated again, starting with the eggplants.
Pour the formed casserole evenly with creamy sauce and sprinkle grated cheese on top.

For baking, it is better to use a dish with high sides so that when pouring the sauce into the dish, it does not overflow over the edges.

Ready-made moussaka is a fragrant casserole with a golden cheese crust. Before serving, you need to let it brew and “rest” for about 15 minutes so that it is saturated with the juices of all the ingredients. It is more effective to present moussaka on the table directly on a baking sheet or in a baking dish, and divide it into portions right in front of the participants of the meal.

Many cooks argue about whether it is worth using potatoes in the recipe for Greek moussaka with eggplant? This is rather an individual decision that everyone makes in accordance with their taste preferences. Potatoes will not spoil the overall impression of the dish, but will only emphasize its taste and add an extraordinary aroma.

Before adding potatoes to moussaka, they should be cut into small slices, lightly fried in a frying pan and placed in a baking dish as the first layer, then minced meat, eggplants and then according to the main recipe.

Unlike the main recipe, moussaka with potatoes and eggplant should be baked a little longer. Do not forget that potatoes are used in a semi-prepared state and they also need time to be fully cooked.

In order for the finished dish to be less fatty and high in calories, you can not fry the ingredients, but bake them for 15 minutes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper without oil. Another way to get rid of excess oil is to place the fried vegetables on a paper towel for 5 minutes and let the fat absorb.

There are many varieties of moussaka. In almost every country there is a similar puff dish using baked vegetables, various sauces and additional ingredients, such as mushrooms, bell peppers, nuts and even exotic seafood.

Serves 6. Per serving: 240 kcal, 8 g fat.
Ingredients:
200 g peppers
3 cloves garlic
200 g minced beef
100 g lentils
2 tbsp oregano
500 ml tomato sauce
1 eggplant
4 tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
25 g grated low-fat cheese
170 ml yogurt
nutmeg

How to prepare dietary moussaka with eggplants.

Cooking time 1 hour.
1. Chop the garlic, cut the eggplant and tomatoes into slices. Lightly fry the peppers in a dry non-stick frying pan for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for another minute, then add the minced meat, mashing it with a fork, cook until a crust forms.
2. Add lentils, half the oregano, tomato sauce, a little water and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are ready. Add more water if necessary.
3. Fry tomatoes and eggplants in oil in a grill pan for 1-2 minutes on each side.
4. Combine half the cheese with yogurt, salt and pepper. Place the minced meat in a non-stick pan, place tomatoes and eggplants on top, pour over the sauce and sprinkle with oregano, cheese and nutmeg. Bake for 5 minutes.

Bon appetit!