Moussaka is the national dish of my parent’s birth country. Growing up it was our traditional winter comfort meal. Every Greek household in the neighbourhood had their own version of this quintessential Hellenic dish. For me, the perfect moussaka had to meet two criteria – not too heavy or oily and a lamb based bolognese sauce, not beef!
To keep moussaka light and delicate it is important not to fry all the layers otherwise your final dish will be greasy. I steam my potato slices in the microwave to mop up that deliciously rich lamb bolognese sauce. The mouthwatering combination of fragrant cinnamon spiced lamb, fried eggplant, potato and a velvety béchamel sauce in my gluten free Greek moussaka recipe is perfectly balanced and utterly delicious. This is the moussaka recipe you want.
Hearty and wholesome, moussaka is a great dish to prepare for a dinner party because you can do all the messy layering work in the morning and then just pop it in the oven before guests arrive. You can replace the eggplant with zucchini for a different twist and even omit the potato slices for a low carb version. I personally love a potato layer but it is equally delicious without it.
The cheese I have used is kefalograviera, a salty Greek cheese available at European delis and gourmet grocers. Kefalograviera is an extremely versatile cheese that can be used to replace parmigiana reggiano in just about anything. It is delicious in salads and toasted sandwiches and is my absolute all time favourite cheese.
The flavours in moussaka intensify overnight so it will be even more delicious the next day. I must warn you assembling the layers does take time but all that hard work will be worth it when it hits the dinner table. Kali Orexi.
- Lamb Bolognese
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 500g lamb mince
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 600g tinned crushed tomato
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped
- 1 cinnamon quill
- Generous pinch of sea salt flakes
- Pinch of cracked pepper and grated nutmeg
- 2 large eggplants, thinly sliced
- 2 large sebago potatoes - peeled, sliced and steamed*
- Olive oil for frying
- Bechamel
- 100g butter
- 100g gluten free plain flour
- 800mL full cream milk
- 100g kefalograviera cheese, grated
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 1 beaten egg
- *Potato slices can be steamed in the microwave or in a steam basket on the stovetop.
- For the lamb bolognese, place a pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and sauté for a few minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add the mince in chunks and sear, then break up with a spoon. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- Add the crushed tomato, oregano, rosemary, cinnamon quill, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Whilst the bolognese is simmering salt the eggplant slices. Drizzle olive oil in a frypan and pan fry the eggplant over medium - high heat in batches. Drain eggplant on a paper towel.
- For the béchamel melt butter over low heat in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour until a smooth paste forms and continue whisking for 30 seconds to cook off flour. Slowly pour in the milk whilst vigorously whisking until a thick sauce is achieved. Stir in the cheese and cinnamon. Remove from the heat and whisk in egg. Season to taste.
- To assemble the moussaka oil one rectangular casserole dish or 6 x mini baking dishes. Lay the eggplant on the base. Top the eggplant with lamb bolognese. Place potato slices on top of lamb and cover with béchamel. Grate with extra kefalogaveria cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven at 200C for 45 minutes or until golden.
- For the lamb bolognese chop onion, garlic and rosemary in mixing bowl 3 sec/speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add oil sauté for 3 minutes/Varoma/speed 1.
- Add lamb mince and cook 10 min/100C/reverse mode/speed 1.
- Add crushed tomato, tomato paste, oregano, cinnamon quill, nutmeg, salt, pepper and cook 15 - 20 min on 100C/reverse mode/speed 1. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Salt the eggplant slices. Drizzle olive oil in a frypan and pan fry the eggplant over medium - high heat in batches. Drain eggplant on a paper towel.
- For the béchamel, place cubed cheese in mixing bowl and grate 10 sec/speed 8. Add flour,milk and seasoning into mixing bowl and cook 9 min/90C/speed 4, or until desired thickness is achieved. Add egg and mix 10 sec/speed 4.
- To assemble the moussaka oil one rectangular casserole dish or 6 x mini baking dishes. Lay eggplant on base. Top eggplant layer with lamb bolognese. Place potato slices on top of lamb and cover with béchamel. Grate with extra kefalogaveria cheese.
- Bake in preheated oven at 200C for 45 minutes or until golden.
Oh I just love moussaka! This looks amazing! Love your blog!
Thanks Lucy. Enjoy!!
This is a fantastic recepie. The meat is delicious and the bechemel simple for those of us who can never get it quite right!???
Lovely post and recipe – never seen a thermomix version before! Also love the photos and those purple aubergines (eggplants) are just delightful – outside of farmers markets you don’t see them much in the UK but they used to be everywhere back in Aus where I come from.
I recently started making a bit of a riff on a much lighter Moussaka where you change the spicing a bit and subsititute a tahini crust for the becahmel sauce – though I go a little rogue and throw in some shiitake mushrooms as well. In any case – really enjoyed reading your blog and I’ll be back 🙂
Here’s the recipe for the tahini crusted moussaka if you’re interested! – http://timedeating.co.uk/the-lighter-middle-eastern-cottage-pie-spiced-beef-aubergine-and-a-tahini-crust/
Thanks for your email. I will check out your tahini crust sounds very interesting!
I had never tried moussaka before and this recipe is delicious.
The last time I ate eggplant I ended up violently ill…turned out it was morning sickness but it has still taken me 35 years to try it again. So glad I did 🙂
The only problem I had with the recipe was the size of eggplants. Not having looked at one for 35 years I have no idea what is considered large. I ordered 2 large ones and they would have been enough to make two big baking dishes of moussaka. Eggplants on steroids? I sliced them about 1/2 inch thick.
Bechamel sauce is great – I could never get it quite right before!
Thanks for your feedback Sandra. Have a great Xmas.
Is there a vegetarian version with out eggs?
Hi EP,
You can omit the egg from the béchamel if you wish, the egg just makes the sauce silkier but it is still fine without it. In terms of a meat replacement mushrooms would work quite well. Enjoy.
Thank-you this was a very easy moussaka recipe to make. I have never had it with sliced potato which was a nice addition. I think I would add more garlic and herbs next time. My family loved it
Fantastic Liz.