Egyptian moussaka
Middle Eats · ♥ 1K likes · 17.7K views · 15 min video
Read about ground beef in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- 2 whole green chilies
- 1 tsp cumin
- aubergines
Peel the aubergines fully and slice into thick slices, about 1.5 cm; trim the end. Poke the green chilies a few times.
- 3–4 tbsp regular table salt
Lay the slices out and salt heavily with 3 to 4 tablespoons of table salt, turning to coat both sides; put in a bowl with a strainer for 30 to 40 minutes, up to an hour.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500 g minced beef
Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a stainless steel pan on medium-high until shimmering; add the 500 g minced beef and press it flat.
Browning the minced beef
Leave 2 to 3 minutes to brown on the bottom, then break into large chunks, flip, and break up to pea-size pieces; cook until no pink remains.
- 1 whole medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
Add the diced onion and minced garlic and cook about 2 minutes until the onion softens.
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Season with three quarters of a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper; cook until browned.
- water
Add a few tablespoons of water and cover with a lid until the mince is moist and medium brown; remove from the heat.
- 1 tbsp oil
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 whole green chilli
Tomato sauce: heat about a tablespoon of oil on medium-high; add 10 cloves of garlic and a green chilli and fry about 30 seconds without browning.
- 400 g canned chopped tomatoes
- 400 g tomato passata
- lemon juice
- 200 ml water
Add 400 g chopped tomatoes, 400 g passata, a little lemon juice and 200 ml water rinsed through the cans; bring to a simmer.
Squeeze the salted aubergines gently by hand to release liquid, rinse each under the tap a couple of seconds, drain, and blot on a clean kitchen towel.
- vegetable oil
Heat frying oil about two centimetres deep in a big frying pan on high.
Fry the aubergines in batches, about 4 to 8 minutes per side, until browned all over; drain on paper towels. Fry the green chilies too.
- salt
- pepper
Season the reduced sauce with a little salt and pepper.
In a big baking dish, put a green chilli at either edge, a single layer of aubergine, then half the meat; repeat; finish with a layer of aubergine and the remaining tomato sauce.
Layering in the baking dish