You’re probably surprised that we make moussaka, but here we are. Not many people make this dish, but it’s definitely worth a try. It’s a lighter version of the Greek moussaka, and it’s absolutely delicious. The Palestinian version is made only with tomato sauce, no béchamel. In my household, we enjoy it alongside white rice! Super easy to assemble, I hope you get to try this dish.
Ingredients
- 1 large globe eggplant
- 1 lb course ground beef
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 tbs olive oil
Instructions
- 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 3/4tsp 7 spices, a sprinkle of ground cardamom optional.
- 2 tbs tomato paste.
- 1 1/2 cup water.
- Vegetable oil for frying.
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds + 1 tbs vegetable oil.
- 1- start by cutting the eggplant into thick pieces 2 inches x 1/2 inch thick. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with lots of salt, we call this a salt bath. It will help draw the moisture out of the eggplant so when you start frying it doesn’t absorb a lot of oil.
- 2- after 2 hours wash the eggplant from the salt and pat dry.
- 3- heat the frying oil to 350 F. I like to squeeze the eggplant in the palm of my hand to remove any excess moisture. Fry until golden on both sides and place on paper towel to absorb the extra oil.
- 4- in a pan add 1 chopped onion with 2 tbs olive oil and sauté until translucent, add the meat and the spices and stir together breaking the meat as you go, cover and let cook on low until the meat is no longer pink and all the meat juices evaporate.
- 5- in a small pan fry the almond with 1 tbs vegetable oil, stirring continuously until golden.
- 6- in a 8×8 baking dish assemble the eggplant in a single layer, top it with the meat filling, after sprinkle with the fried almonds.
- 7- in the same pan you cooked the meat in, add the tomato paste, sauté for 30 seconds then add the water to thin the paste and sprinkle with salt. Let cook for about 5 minutes, then add the sauce to the moussaka.
- I added another 1/2 cup water because I noticed the sauce was thick.
- 8- bake in a 375 F oven for 20 minutes. Enjoy with a side of rice.