Turkish musakka is mostly composed of vegetables while the Greek version comes with white sauce and cheese. I thought it would be great to have a marriage of two cuisines, so this is like a combination of both.
This recipe requires no amount of oil in cooking most of the main ingredients, which, I think, is very good for health-conscious people. I also used very little amount of meat, but lots of eggplants. For vegetarians, it is best to substitute the ground beef with vegemeat or gluten.
Before posting it here, I had to put this recipe under a test. I took effort in cooking the dish two times and had it tasted by four different people. At first, this was like a vegetable lasagna for me. After my second try, I felt very much like Tonia Buxton boasting a plate of sumptuous snack. This salivating Mediterranean dish is also a very good appetizer. Hope, you guys, will like it!
You will need:
- 4 large eggplants
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped finely
- 100 grams ground beef
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- dried basil leaves, diced
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup grated regular cheese
- 1 cup grated quickmelt cheese
Preparing the vegetables:
Peel the eggplants. Slice them about 1/3-inch thick. Dehydrate in a non-stick pan until cooked. Set aside.
Peel the potatoes. Slice them about 1/3-inch thick. Hard boil them in a pot. Set aside.
Cooking the meat sauce:
In a hot sauce pan, stir in ground beef and onion until a little brown. Add tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring until cooked. Set aside.
Making the Béchamel Sauce:
Melt butter in a saucepan over low fire. Add flour to make a roux. Mix well to avoiding burning. Add milk, dried basil leaves, add grated cheese. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Remove from heat when the sauce thickens.
The final procedure:
Grease a rectangular baking dish with vegetable oil. Layer some slices of eggplant, followed by some potatoes. Cover with meat sauce, followed by white sauce or the béchamel sauce. Repeat the same process with the remaining ingredients, just make sure the top is flat. Finally, top with grated quickmelt cheese. Cover the dish with foil. Bake in the oven at 180°C/350°F for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with yogurt.
*This recipe is good for 6 people.
