A delicious vegetarian moussaka dish that even meat-eaters would appreciate.
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 10 minutes / SERVES: 8-10
INGREDIENTS
Ricotta béchamel
- 2 cups firm fresh ricotta
- 1½ cups Greek yoghurt
- 4 eggs, beaten lightly
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Lentil Mousakka
- 1.5 kg potatoes, scrubbed
- ⅓ cup olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 4 large eggplants
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 fresh long red chillies, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 750 ml bottled tomato passata
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- 3 x 400 g cans of lentils, drained, rinsed
- 300 g feta, crumbled
- ¾ cup grated mozzarella
METHOD
Ricotta béchamel
Whisk ingredients in a bowl until combined and smooth. Season and set aside.
Lentil Mousakka
Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly oil two large oven trays.
Cut potatoes into 1 cm thick slices; place in a single layer on both trays. Drizzle with 1½ tablespoons of the oil, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the oregano, then season.
Turn potato slices to coat evenly. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned and just tender. Transfer cooked potatoes to a baking paper-lined tray.
Meanwhile, cut 3 eggplants lengthways into 1 cm thick slices. Place eggplant in a single layer on two trays; brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil, season and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the oregano. Working in batches, cook eggplant slices on a heated chargrill plate (or chargrill pan) for 3 minutes on each side or until browned and tender.
Transfer cooked eggplant to baking-paper lined trays.
Chop the remaining eggplant into 2 cm pieces. Heat remaining oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat; cook onion, garlic and chilli for 4 minutes or until soft.
Add chopped eggplant; cook for 5 minutes or until golden and softened. Stir in carrot and capsicum; cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the passata, ⅔ cup water, the thyme and the remaining oregano. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until eggplant is soft. Stir in lentils; season.
Arrange potato slices, in a single layer, on the base of an oiled 24 cm x 34 cm,4-litre (16-cup) ovenproof dish; top with half the lentil mixture, then half the eggplant slices in a single layer. Repeat layering with the remaining lentil mixture and eggplant.
Spread ricotta béchamel on top; scatter with feta and mozzarella. Drizzle with extra oil.
Bake lentil moussaka for 55 minutes or until heated through and the top is golden. Stand for 10 minutes before serving.
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Feature image: Pexels
Originally published on Food&Home.
