Turkish Eggplant Moussaka with Ground Meat — Step-by-Step Recipe

Step-by-step recipe

1. The word “moussaka” is often said to mean “juicy”. But the Arabic musaqqa'a actually means “chilled”. In Turkey moussaka is not arranged in layers the way it is in Greece or Bulgaria. In Turkey the vegetables are stewed with ground meat, and that is how eggplant moussaka is made.
2. Eggplant moussaka calls for the freshest young vegetables: dark-skinned eggplants, ripe tomatoes of different colors, large onions and good sweet peppers.
   
3. When you make eggplant moussaka, it is important that all the ingredients are almost fully cooked before they are combined and baked.
4. Any meat you like will do. Moussaka turns out great with lamb or veal, and it is very tasty with pork. What matters is that the meat is not too fatty and not freshly slaughtered. We decided to cook with pork shoulder.
   
5. For a festive meal for a small family, you can make moussaka of any size. If it is not eaten right away, it will be just as wonderful for breakfast.
6. The eggplants need some prep. Wash them and wipe dry with a paper towel. Cut off the ends. With a sharp knife, peel thin strips of skin lengthwise, leaving strips of skin in between, so the eggplants end up striped. Slice the eggplants into rounds 1-1.5 cm thick. Put the rounds into a bowl and drizzle with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Toss thoroughly so that the eggplants are coated with a film of oil.
   
7. Should you draw the bitterness out of eggplants? I can't tell you. I have not come across a bitter eggplant in a very long time. But if you do happen to get some, sprinkle the sliced eggplants generously with salt and leave them for half an hour. They will release a little juice and lose the bitterness. Then rinse them and pat dry.
8. Transfer the eggplants to a baking sheet or a ceramic dish and bake them in the oven until done.
9. Put the meat through a meat grinder. By the way, advanced cooks chop it with a knife into very small pieces.
10. Slice half of the tomatoes into rounds no more than 0.5 cm thick. There is no need to remove the seeds and skin. Scald the other half with boiling water, then remove the seeds and skin. Chop the tomato flesh with a knife.
11. Seed the peppers and cut them into thin rings. Add a little vegetable oil to the sliced peppers, toss and bake them in the oven until soft.
    
12. Peel the onions and cut them into thick strips. Fry the onions in vegetable oil until golden.
    
13. Add the ground meat to the fried onions, season with salt and pepper, and add 0.5 tsp of a dried Mediterranean herb mix (basil, oregano, savory). By the way, the dish is quite aromatic. Simmer the onions and meat for 10-12 mins under a lid over low heat.
    
14. Then add the chopped tomato flesh and simmer for another 10-12 mins, until the meat is fully cooked.
    
15. In the end the ground meat with onions and tomatoes should have as little liquid as possible.
16. Prepare a baking dish, preferably ceramic or ovenproof glass. Grease the bottom and sides with vegetable oil so that the moussaka comes away from the walls easily.
17. Arrange half of the baked eggplant rounds on the bottom of the baking dish.
    
18. Top with a little more than half of the ground meat with vegetables and level it gently with a spatula.
    
19. Arrange all the baked peppers evenly over the ground meat, then add the second half of the tomatoes, sliced into rounds.
    
20. Lay out all the remaining baked eggplant rounds.
    
21. On top of the eggplants, as the last layer, spread all the remaining ground meat. The eggplant casserole should be completely covered with the meat.
    
22. Pour in half a cup of hot water, drizzling it evenly over the whole surface of the eggplant moussaka.
23. Press the surface of the moussaka down with a spatula, leveling it at the same time.
    
24. Arrange a few tomato rounds and sweet pepper rings on top. The vegetables will bake a little.
25. Put the dish with the moussaka into an oven preheated to 200 °C.
26. The baking time is strictly individual: almost all the liquid has to cook off. It usually takes from 25 mins to 45 mins. Judge it only by eye. In the end the dish should be baked through.
    
27. As a matter of fact, I have never seen moussaka with a topping in Turkey, the way it is made in Bulgaria. After baking, Turkish moussaka stays just as it is. At least that was the case wherever I tried it.
28. But culinary sources recommend covering the moussaka with bechamel sauce. Or simply pouring beaten eggs with grated cheese over it. It is up to you whether to add a topping or not. Either way, the eggplant moussaka will be amazing.
    
29. But if you do decide to make the topping, it is easy to prepare. It is described in detail in another recipe, the Bulgarian moussaka with potatoes.
30. The eggplant moussaka is ready. Carefully divide it into portions and serve on nice plates.
    
31. Eggplant moussaka goes well with sauces: you can serve it with tomato sauce, sour cream, thick cream or simply soured milk.