Israeli Moussaka

Moussaka is an authentic Greek dish made with lamb. With time, it found its way to Israel via Turkey.

Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
3 chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed or cut into small pieces
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 cup tomato paste mixed with 1/4 cup water
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon corn starch 

Method:

Cut the eggplants (unpeeled) into rings. Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 1 hour. Wash under water and dry.

In a small non-stick skillet, heat the oil and saut‚ the onions in 1 tablespoon of the oil until soft. Add the garlic and the lamb and saut‚ until lightly browned. Remove from the heat and add the tomato paste/water mixture. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle the flour on the eggplant slices and saut‚ in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until brown. Layer the fried eggplant slices in a 9x13-inch
baking pan coated with non-stick spray. Repeat layering until the pan is full. Bake for 40 minutes then mix the cornstarch in the stock; add the eggs to the stock and pour on top of the meat mixture. Return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Serve hot.

Gail Greco is the food editor of Carefree Cooking; a field editor for Romantic Homes magazine; and a contributor to many other publications.  She has authored more than 15 books on cooking, decorating, and home lifestyle.

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