Ingredients for Vegetarian Moussaka
- Spinach Leaves
- 1 cup brown or green lentils
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- Chopped Tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper
- Ground Cumin
- 2 lbs potatoes, peeled
- Eggplants
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- Ricotta Cheese
- 1 large egg
- Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
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How to Make Vegetarian Moussaka
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add spinach and cook for 1 minute. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Squeeze out excess water from spinach.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 450ml water and lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
- While lentils cook, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until softened and golden, about 10 minutes.
- Add sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Increase heat to medium-high and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms release their juices and darken in color.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes and cook briskly for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Add cooked lentils, reserved lentil cooking liquid, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cumin to the skillet. Simmer gently for a few minutes.
- Stir in the squeezed spinach. Add a little water if the stew seems too dry.
- Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain, cool slightly, and slice lengthwise.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Trim eggplant and slice lengthwise into 1/2-cm thick slices.
- Brush a baking sheet with remaining olive oil. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes. Flip and bake for another 5 minutes, until softened.
- Reduce oven temperature to 360°F (180°C).
- In a 2-liter baking dish, layer half the potatoes, half the eggplant, the mushroom mixture, the remaining eggplant, and the remaining potatoes.
- For the topping: Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour and gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese and ricotta cheese mixed with the egg. Season to taste.
- Pour sauce over the moussaka and dust with nutmeg.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and set.
Nutrition Information (Approximate per serving)
Sodium
18 g
Sugar
55g
Fat
85g
Carbs
28g
