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A hearty and tasty Mediterranean dish, moussaka, will appeal to all lovers of juicy meat and eggplant. The delicate layered casserole combines the piquancy of minced meat with spices, the freshness of vegetables and a light creamy taste. For moussaka, choose minced beef, “diluted” with lamb or pork. You can use the cheese you like best – it will not affect the success of the dish.

Step 1

Cut the eggplants lengthwise into slices no thicker than 5 mm, lay them out on a board or plate, add salt and leave for 20 minutes to remove the bitterness. Then rinse and dry.

Step 2

Fry each eggplant slice in oil for 3-5 minutes on each side or bake them in the oven.

Step 3

Finely chop the tomatoes and onions, crush the garlic with a knife or a special press. Grate the cheese on a large grater and set it aside for now.

Step 4

Fry the onion in a frying pan for 1-2 minutes, then add the tomatoes and garlic. Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Step 5

Add spices to the vegetables, stir, remove from heat and transfer to a deep container. Grind the dressing with a blender until it reaches the consistency of a sauce.

Step 6

Place the minced meat in a greased, heated frying pan and fry until the meat changes color from pinkish-red to brown.

Step 7

Add the vegetable dressing to the minced meat, stir and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Step 8

Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and pour in the warm milk. Mix thoroughly without removing from the heat until the sauce becomes uniform in consistency.

Step 9

Grease a baking dish with milk sauce and place a layer of fried eggplant on top.

Step 10

Place a layer of minced meat on the eggplants and sprinkle with grated cheese.

Step 11

Repeat all layers again: milk sauce, eggplant, minced meat, cheese. Bake the dish in the oven, preheated to 180 ℃, for 30-40 minutes.