Thinking of hosting a Greek themed dinner and bingo party at home? Allow your guests to travel using their palate. Let them taste the wonders of Greece via the classic national dish: Greek Moussaka Eggplant. While Greek Moussaka Eggplant takes about 2 hours to prepare and cook, you and your friends can enjoy a round or two of bingo.
Greek Moussaka is regarded as one of the most popular Greek foods, thanks to the famous Greek chef Nicholas Tselementes. The casserole is not traditionally from Greece, as some scholars maintain that moussaka was introduced by the Arabs when they brought the eggplant to Greece. The Moussaka Recipe is an urban cuisine that, like Greece, is able to respond to new ingredients and religious and traditional influences.
The rich influence of Greece on the modern world cannot be undermined. The Greek influence can be seen from events as big as the Olympics to as little as everyday things as the alphabet. Greek mythology is one of the biggest influences on Greece to the modern world. You can see their usage in film adaptations like Disney’s Hercules to bingo games like Bingogodz, who characterized Zantos as the father of the Godz, an obvious representation of Zeus.
Here is the best Moussaka recipe you would probably try: Greek Moussaka Eggplant.
Easy Greek Moussaka Eggplant
Ingredients
3 large eggplant (brinjal, aubergine, or guinea squash)
1 pound potatoes
1 ½ pounds ground beef (minced beef)
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 large yellow onion - diced
¼ cup parsley - chopped
½ cup red wine
¼ teaspoon ground allspice (also called pimento or Jamaican Pepper) - ground
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon - ground
2 tablespoons tomato paste- 1 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar (white sugar)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
8 medium egg white - lightly beaten (please reserve yolks for Bechamel sauce)
2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese
FOR THE BECHAMEL SAUCE:
1 cup all purpose flour (plain flour Australia and UK)
1 cup salted butter
4 cups milk - warmed
8 medium egg yolk - lightly beaten
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Make sure that you peel the eggplants while leaving a 1-inch peel around the eggplant. Cut the eggplant into ½-inch slices. Set them aside in a colander and salt them liberally. Peel and boil the potatoes until they’re cooked enough. The potatoes should not be too soft. Drain them and slice them into ¼-inch slices. Set them aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare two baking sheets with aluminum foil and grease them. Add a splash of water as you beat your egg. Dry the eggplant with paper towels before dipping it into the beaten egg. Dredge them in the bread crumbs. Make sure you coat both sides. Bake them at 400°F for 30 minutes, turning them once during cooking. Lower the temperature to 350°F when eggplant is cooked. Set them aside.
- In a large pan, cook the ground beef until brown. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for about a minute. Pour wine into the pan and allow it to simmer and reduce before adding cinnamon, parsley, allspice, tomato paste, sugar, and tomato puree. Simmer for 15 minutes, so excess liquid can be removed. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the Bechamel sauce. Over low heat, melt the butter. Add flour while whisking continuously to create a smooth paste. Cook for a minute, do not allow the flour to turn brown. Add the warmed milk while whisking. Simmer over low heat for a minute, then remove from heat. Stir in beaten yolks and nutmeg. Bring back to heat and stir until the sauce is thick.
- Assemble the moussaka. Lightly grease a baking pan, sprinkle bread crumbs on the bottom of the pan, and then add a layer of potatoes. Top with a layer of eggplant. Add meat sauce and Parmesan cheese. Top it with another layer of eggplant slices before sprinkling again with the cheese. Pour in the Bechamel sauce covering the sides of the pan. Bake for 45 minutes over 350°F. Cool before serving.
