Moussaka (Greek)

Ingredients

Meat and vegetables

• 1 large potato, sliced into rounds, fried or grilled
• 1 medium eggplant, sliced into rounds, fried or grilled
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 250 g finely minced beef
• 2 medium tomatoes, blended
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Béchamel

• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tbsp flour, sifted
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 stock cube

Cheese

• 2 cups Monterey Jack, kashkaval, mozzarella or cheddar (mixed)

Method

1. Béchamel: melt the butter in a pot, add the flour and toast it, then add the milk gradually until it thickens. Add the salt, stock cube, black pepper and nutmeg and let it boil.
2. Meat: in a hot pan with 2 tbsp oil, cook the onion and meat until soft, adding the spices and salt. Once cooked, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and 2 tbsp water and let it reduce.
3. Layer the eggplant and potato, then the meat, then the béchamel and finally the cheese. Bake in a preheated oven from below until bubbling, then from above until golden and the cheese melts.

Notes

I like to layer it: potato, eggplant, cheese, meat, béchamel, then potato, eggplant, meat, béchamel and cheese.