This recipe is one of the longest I have done but the final result is so rewarding. The food is nutritious and filling. You will have a huge quantity that will portion and freeze well, making it perfect for a morning or late night “batch cooking” for your entire family and busy week. When serving it I would recommend to fix up a quick salad with 3-4 different colour vegetables to provide additional fiber, enzymes and vitamins to your lunch/dinner.
Vegetarian Moussaka
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 red pepper
- 2 mid size onions
- 1 carrot
- 400 g lentils (green/brown)
- 1 litre of water
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- a bunch of parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary (or couple of springs)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons of paprika
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes
- 10 tablespoons of tamari
- salt & pepper
- 2 large aubergines
- 1/4 of teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1/2 kg of potatoes
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ....................................................................
- Ingredients for the bechamel sauce:
- 750 ml of milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 115 g of butter/oil
- 115 g of flour (spelt/wheat)
- 2 eggs (optional)
- 350 ml yogurt
- 250 g grated Chedar cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to +200C (up & down grill)
Peel and crush the garlic
Deseed and chop the red pepper
Chop the onions
Cut the carrot into small rounds
Take a large pot and add the lentils, garlic, red pepper, onion, carrot, thyme, rosemary, parsley, bay leaf and 1 litre of water
Place the pot on a medium fire and bring to boil
Turn the heat down
Add the paprika, the canned tomatoes, 5 tablespoons of tamari, 1 teaspoon of salt, half of teaspoon of black pepper
Simmer for 30 minutes until the water is gone
Cut the aubergines into 1 cm cubes and put the in a bowl, tossing them with the mix of 5 tablespoons of tamari, 3 tablespoons of water and a bit of cayenne
Place the aubergine in a baking tray and roast them for 25 minutes
Slice the potatoes into 1 cm thick rounds, toss them with olive oil and salt and roast them in the oven for 25 minutes
The Bechamel Sauce preparation:
Mix the milk, bay leaf, nutmeg, salt and pepper into a pan over a medium heat, stirring from time to time
In another pot melt the butter over a low heat
Whisk the flour into the fat for 5 minutes until it is absorbed
When the milk starts to bubble, remove from the fire and take out the bay leaf
Slowly add the milk to the mix of butter and flour, whisking continuosly
The mixture will start to look like a sauce
Once the milk was added, continue stirring for 5 minutes over a low heat, until the sauce thickens
If using the eggs, add them one at a time, whisking continuously
Stir in the yogurt
Remove from the heat, season to taste and add the 100 grated Cheddar cheese
To put together the moussaka, you will need a large ovenproof pot. I used a large clay pot that previously was left into water to soak the humidity that during the time spent in the oven will contribute to create moist and vapors.
Put a layer of potatoes, then 1/3 of the white sauce
Put half of the lentil mix
Add half of the roasted aubergines, followed by another layer of white sauce
Sprinkle half of the grated cheese over the white sauce
Add the remaining lentil mix
Follow with the rest of aubergines and another layer of white sauce
Top all with grated cheese and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes
Keep the moussaka "rested" for 10-15 minutes before serving
