Vegetarian Moussaka (Me Lahanika)
Béchamel sauce was taken from the French cuisine and introduced to the Greek kitchen by Nikolaos Tselementes in the early 20th century. Before béchamel, moussaka was simply made with eggplant (aubergine) and a meat sauce with some cheese grated over before baking. The béchamel does elevate it beautifully.
The difference between the traditional béchamel and the Greek version is that Tselementes added eggs and cheese, making the Greek version richer.
It is important to line the dish with the potatoes first as it helps absorb the liquid. You can also add zucchini (courgette) slices to this dish: replace two eggplants with two zucchini, preparing the zucchini in the same way as the potato.
Ingredients 15
4 eggplants (aubergines), cut into 1 cm (1⁄2 in) thick slices
125 ml olive oil
4 large potatoes, cut into 1 cm (1⁄2 in) thick slices
125 g kefalotyri cheese, grated
Mushroom Sauce
1 onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200 g mushroom, diced
500 g tomato purée
1⁄2 tsp dried thyme
1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Béchamel Sauce
115 g butter
115 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
1 l milk
1 egg
Pinch ground nutmeg
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Method 12
Place the sliced in a colander, sprinkling each layer with a little salt to remove the bitterness. Let the eggplant drain while you fry the .
Heat half the in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the on both sides for 2 minutes on each side – enough to give a golden glow. Remove and put on paper towel to drain. Continue until all the potato is fried.
Wash the and squeeze out any excess liquid. Pat dry and, using the same frying pan, fry on both sides to soften. Add more if needed, as eggplant does absorb it quickly. Layer on paper towel until needed.
The Mushroom Sauce
Prepare the mushroom sauce. Pour the remaining into a saucepan and over a medium heat sauté the and until translucent and soft. Add the diced and continue cooking until they have softened, then pour in the and mix well.
Add the , and and season well with salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer over a medium heat for about 20 minutes. If it looks too dry add a little water, and if it looks too wet cook with the lid off so some of the liquid can evaporate. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
The Bechamel
To make the béchamel sauce, melt the in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the , mixing well to combine and making a roux (a thickener). Be careful not to burn the flour – it should be only a little golden. Add the slowly and keep stirring until it resembles a thick sauce. Be patient with this step.
Once it has thickened, take it off the heat and add the , mixing vigorously to combine well. Add the and season well with salt and black pepper.
To Assemble
To assemble the moussaka, cover the base of a 25 cm × 35 cm (10 in × 14 in) baking dish with one ladle full of the mushroom sauce and top with a layer of , then a layer of .
Ladle the rest of the over the and top with the remaining and finally with the rest of the eggplant slices.
Top with the and smooth over with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle the over and bake in the oven for about 50–60 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling around the edges.
Serve warm with a green salad.
Meni Valle's tips
You can also add zucchini (courgette) slices to this dish: replace two eggplants with two zucchini, preparing the zucchini in the same way as the potato.
