Traditional Moussaka Recipe

Moussaka is one of the most famous savory delicacies of the

Balkans, eggplant is its characteristic ingredient. Its Greek
version has its origins in Nicolas Tselementes cook book, the
Greek culinary bible, published in the 1920s. Here is the
traditional recipe.

Ingredients

3 big potatoes
3 big eggplants
3 ripen tomatoes
3 egg yolks
500 gr. ground beef
750 ml milk
100 gr all purpose flour
100 gr. Kefalotiri (yellow cheese)
100 gr. Butter
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
paprika
nutmeg
oregano
sunflower oil for frying
olive oil
Salt
pepper
oregano

Directions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Cut the potatoes and the eggplants in thin slices, season them with salt and pepper
and then fry them in hot sunflower oil. Let them drain from the oil, on paper towels.
Saute in hot sauce pan with olive oil, the thinly chopped onion and garlic, add the
ground beef, salt, pepper and stir until it has browned.
Grind the tomatoes and add them in the beef, add paprika, oregano, salt, pepper. Boil
until the sauce is thick with no extra liquids and the meat is cooked. Add some water when
needed.
In a wide casserole melt the butter and add the flour, stir until a white roux is formed.
Add the milk and stir with an eggbeater until the roux has completely dissolved in the
milk.
Boil until the sauce is thick.
Take away from the stove and add the grinded cheese, the egg yokes, the nutmeg
and stir again with the eggbeater until you have a smooth mixture.
In a nonstick tray add a layer of potatoes, a layer of eggplant, half of the beef sauce,
another layer of eggplant, the rest of the beef sauce and the bchamel on top of it. Also
spread some cheese over the surface.
Preheat the oven at 180 Celsius and bake it for about 30' or until the surface has
browned.
Let is cool a bit and serve it.
A good way to make it lighter and more healthy is to boil the potatoes and roast the
eggplants instead of frying them. You can also use light milk instead of full fat.