Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka

希臘牛肉茄子木莎卡

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — finished dish

Total time: 95 min
Difficulty: Medium
Servings: 4 servings

Recipe overview

Roasted eggplant and potato are layered with cinnamon-scented beef tomato sauce and smooth white sauce for a practical family moussaka.

01

Ingredients

Main ingredients

600 g minced beef
2 piece purple eggplants
500 g medium potatoes
1 piece onion
3 clove garlic

Seasoning

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 piece cinnamon sticks

Sauce

400 g canned chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
50 g unsalted butter
50 g all-purpose flour
600 ml milk
100 g Cheddar cheese

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — ingredient overview

02

Tools

knife
cutting board
mixing bowl
measuring cup
measuring spoons
baking tray
frying pan
baking dish
oven
oven mitts
wooden spoon
whisk
food thermometer
serving plate

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — tool overview

03

Steps

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Preheat and slice vegetables

Step 1

Preheat and slice vegetables

Preheat the oven to 200°C for exactly 10 minutes; slice both eggplants 1 cm thick and 500 g potatoes 5 mm thick.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Season eggplant and potato

Step 2

Season eggplant and potato

Toss eggplant and potato separately with 1 tablespoon olive oil and all the measured half-teaspoon vegetable salt.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Roast the vegetables

Step 3

Roast the vegetables

Arrange eggplant and potato in separate single layers and roast exactly 25 minutes, turning both at 12 minutes.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Chop onion and garlic

Step 4

Chop onion and garlic

Finely dice 1 onion and chop all 3 garlic cloves; keep them separate.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Brown beef and onion

Step 5

Brown beef and onion

Cook onion and beef in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high for exactly 8 minutes; add all beef salt and pepper and break up until browned.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Simmer the beef sauce

Step 6

Simmer the beef sauce

Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano and 1 cinnamon stick; simmer exactly 15 minutes, stirring once.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Make the white sauce

Step 7

Make the white sauce

Melt butter over medium, whisk in flour for 1 minute, then gradually add milk and whisk for 10 minutes total until smooth and thick.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Layer potato and eggplant

Step 8

Layer potato and eggplant

Line a deep rectangular baking dish with all potatoes, then spread all eggplant evenly above.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Add the beef sauce

Step 9

Add the beef sauce

Remove the cinnamon stick and spread all beef-tomato sauce evenly over the eggplant.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Top with sauce and cheese

Step 10

Top with sauce and cheese

Spread all white sauce level, then scatter exactly 100 g cheese evenly over it.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Bake the moussaka

Step 11

Bake the moussaka

Bake at 200°C for exactly 35 minutes until evenly golden; confirm beef reaches at least 71°C.

Greek Beef and Eggplant Moussaka — Rest, slice and serve

Step 12

Rest, slice and serve

Rest exactly 15 minutes, cut into 8 pieces and place 1 intact layered piece on a white plate.

Common mistakes

Starting the heat before mise en place is complete causes uneven doneness.
Crowding the pan makes meat release water instead of browning evenly.
Serving without checking the stated centre doneness or tasting the sauce.

Tips

Measure every ingredient by group before starting.

Adjust salt and pepper gradually only after the sauce has reduced.