Roasted Eggplant and Potatoes with Bechamel Sauce
Prep Time
45minutes
Cook Time
45minutes
Prep Time
45minutes
Cook Time
45minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 medium-sized eggplantsliced(or 6 small eggplants)
  • 1 potato
  • olive oil
Beef Sauce
  • 1lb ground beef
  • 1 onionchopped
  • 2tsp 7 spice
  • 1tsp salt
  • pinch cayenne pepper(optional)
  • 1 red bell pepperchopped
  • 1 Hungarian pepper(or fry pepper)chopped
  • 1/2cup parsleychopped
  • 112-oz can tomato sauce(or 500 gram package – I use Pomi)
Bechamel Sauce
  • 4cup milkwarmed
  • 1stick butter
  • 1/2cup flour
  • 1/4tsp nutmeg
  • bay leaf
  • pinch salt
  • lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese(optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F. In a large bowl, combine sliced eggplant with 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add 1 tsp of salt and toss well. Arrange on a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add half of chopped onion and sauté. Once translucent, add ground beef, 1/2 tsp salt and seven spice. Brown meat well. Set aside.
  3. In a medium size pot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the remaining chopped onion, red bell pepper, and Hungarian pepper. Saute.
  4. Once the peppers are no longer firm, add the browned ground beef and mix well. Add the tomato sauce and parsley. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. While the eggplants are roasting, and the sauce simmering, prepare the béchamel sauce. In a medium-size pot, melt the stick of butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is completely melted, slowly add the flour while whisking the two together. Once you have added all of the flour, you should have a light brown mixture in the pot.
  6. For the béchamel, slowly add the warmed milk to the butter/flour mixture. The key is that the milk must be warm, otherwise you will get too many clumps. (I put it in the microwave for 2 minutes in a microwave-safe cup.) Keep whisking the milk into the flour mixture. The mixture should seem relatively thin. Add the nutmeg, salt and bay leaf. Once it starts to bubble, reduce to low heat. Dont leave it alone for too long, as it will thicken quickly. If you want to add some grated parmesan cheese, now would be the time.
  7. At this point, the eggplant should be done, and the sauce should be finished. Peel the potato, and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Don’t do this too early, or the potatoes will brown.
  8. In a casserole dish, place the roasted eggplant at the bottom. Top with the sliced potatoes. Pour the meat sauce on top. If you have more eggplant or potatoes, then you can add another layer. Top it off with the béchamel sauce.
  9. Bake in a 200C/400F oven for approximately 35 minutes. I usually broil the top of the moussaka for the last 10 minutes so that the béchamel gets a nice golden layer on the top.
  10. Serve warm – Enjoy!!