New taste of moussaka

> Feel free to add other toppings to the main ingredients of brinjal and meat in this dish that came from the former Ottoman Empire

MOUSSAKA has brinjal or eggplant and meat as its main ingredients while some recipes contain potatoes. There are different versions of it, depending on its country of origin: sautéed, casserole, or layered, and served at different temperatures – warm or room, cold or hot.

The toppings also differ, ranging from Bechamel sauce to a savoury custard, or milk, yoghurt, sliced tomatoes, breadcrumbs, or grated cheese.

The version that I am used to is the one of Greek origin, while others are of Turkish and Balkan origin, mainly. The Greek version I like is layered and topped with Bechamel sauce, and served warm.

The recipe below has been simplified to make preparation at home a little easier for first-timers.

According to Healthline, a health and medical information website, brinjal is high in antioxidants, fibre, potassium, magnesium and folic acid.

A fun fact: brinjal contains nicotine, the same addictive substance present in tobacco products.

The level of the chemical is very low, however, and won’t hurt you. You would have to consume at least 9kg of brinjal to ingest the same amount of nicotine found in one cigarette.

SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF MOUSSAKA

Ingredients

3 medium- to large-sized brinjals, sliced 1cm to 2cm thick Salt

¼ cup olive oil 1 tbs butter 450g minced beef Ground black pepper 2 onions, chopped ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbs dried parsley 1 egg, beaten 1 cup tomato sauce 4 cups milk

½ cup butter 6 tbs flour White pepper, to taste Salt, to taste 1 ½ cups grated cheese

Method

1. Place the brinjal slices on a plate lined with paper towels. Sprinkle salt over the slices. 2. Set aside for 30 minutes until moisture is drawn out. Pat dry the slices and remove paper towels. 3. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the brinjal until brown. Set aside. 4. In a pot, heat the butter and add the minced beef, salt and black pepper to taste, onions, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg and parsley. Stir to mix and until the beef is browned. 5. Pour in the tomato sauce and add a little water if mixture is too dry or thick. 6. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove

from heat to cool. Stir in beaten egg. 7. Heat up the milk in a saucepan. 8. Melt the butter in a pan and whisk in flour until mixture is smooth. Pour in the hot milk slowly, continue whisking until mixture thickens. 9. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. 10. Grease a baking dish with some oil or butter. Arrange a layer of brinjal on the base. Cover it with the beef mixture. 11. Next, sprinkle grated cheese over the meat. Arrange another layer of brinjal and sprinkle again with grated cheese. 12. Pour the sauce over the top and

sprinkle with more cheese if you like. 13. Bake in a preheated oven at 175°C for

one hour. 14. Remove from oven and leave to cool a

little before serving.