Vegetarian moussaka
If for one reason or another you do not eat meat, prepare vegetarian moussaka according to our original recipe. By the way, despite the absence of minced meat in the dish, it turns out to be very satisfying. And, of course, unusually tasty: we think that such a vegetarian moussaka will appeal to even the most convinced meat-eaters. It is prepared quite quickly, only potatoes and rice should be boiled in advance. And one more small note: if, in addition to meat, you also do not eat dairy products, carefully read the composition of the pesto (it should not contain cheese) or make your own sauce - from basil, olive oil, garlic and pine nuts.
Ingredients
Servings 4 servings- eggplant - 400 g
- jacket-boiled potatoes - 400 g
- medium-sized onion - 1 pc.
- garlic - 2-3 cloves
- celery root - 150 g
- large fleshy tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- olive oil - 6 tbsp. l. plus for mold lubrication
- boiled round rice - 200 g
- tomato paste - 50 g
- vegetable broth - 200-300 ml
- pesto sauce - 3 tbsp. l.
- salt, freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Cooking
Step 1
Prepare the moussaka ingredients. Peel the eggplant, wash and cut lengthwise into thin slices. Peel the potatoes, wash and cut into slices 5 mm thick.
Step 2
Peel the onion and garlic for moussaka, finely chop. Peel the celery root, wash and cut into small cubes. Cut the tomatoes crosswise and dip in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with slotted spoon and then clean. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Finely chop the pulp.
Step 3
In a deep skillet, heat 2 tbsp. l. olive oil. Put onion and garlic in it, brown for 3 minutes. Add celery and fry for 5 minutes. Put in the rice and stir.
Step 4
Add tomatoes, tomato paste and broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for 5-7 minutes. Remove the moussaka rice and vegetables from the stove and leave in a warm place until used.
Step 5
Fry eggplant in 2 tbsp. l. butter on both sides until golden brown. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. In the same skillet, add 2 tbsp. l. oil and lightly brown the potatoes.
Step 6
In a baking dish greased with olive oil, layer the mixture of rice and vegetables, potatoes and eggplant. Brush the surface of the moussaka with pesto and bake for 20 minutes at 190°C.