An authentic middle-eastern recipe, moussaka is considered as one of the most delicious and most popular recipes that use affordable ingredients. And while there are different variations of this dish; this recipe combines layers of vegetables and cheese and eggplant is the hero ingredient of this recipe.
Lebanese Maghmour, Moussaka
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds of peeled and chopped tomatoes
- 2 Pieces of eggplant
- 2 Cups of olive oil
- 1 Piece large onion, chopped
- 2 Cloves minced garlic.
- 1/2 Cup of hot water
- 1 Cup of tomato sauce.
- 1 Teaspoon of cinnamon
- 2 to 3 Piece bay leaves
- 1 Pinch of salt
- 1 Pinch of black pepper,
- 1/2 Cup of raisins
- 1 Tablespoon of thyme and some for garnish
- 1 Pound of Frico Edam cheese
Instructions
- Peel and chop the tomatoes, then process in a blender with the juice.
- Heat the oil into a pan and cook the chopped onions and the garlic until their color starts changing for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add in the tomato sauce, the tomato juice, the water, and the bay leaves
- When your ingredients start boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Add the raisins and the thyme by the end
- Heat the corn oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the eggplant slices on both the sides; then transfer to a dish and drain with clean paper towels
- Season with the salt and the pepper
- Preheat your oven to a temperature of about 390°F
- In a Pyrex bowl, place a layer of eggplant; then add half of the tomato sauce; then add a layer of cheese slices, then a second layer of eggplant
- Add in the rest of the tomato sauce and add in more Edam cheese slices; then sprinkle some of the thyme for garnishing
- Put the msakqa'a in the oven and cook for about 10 minutes, until the cheese melts
- Remove the baking dish from the oven; then let rest for about 5 minutes
- Serve and enjoy your dish hot!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Calories: 198.2, Fat: 12.4g, Carbohydrates: 20.7g, Dietary Fiber: 5.3 g, Protein: 3.7g
