Chef and Palestine on a Plate app creator Joudie Kalla shares her recipe for mini moussaka
I love aubergines, meat and béchamel and so I love moussaka. My recipe here is for a twist on that classic dish that always gives pleasure and is ideal for a dinner party. You can make this traditionally in a tray but I like to make mine as individual parcels and serve them inside parchment paper tied with string.
Ingredients: Moussaka
500g minced lamb.
5 fresh tomatoes.
1 large onion, diced.
1 tablespoon tomato pureé.
2 teaspoons of sugar.
Salt to taste and black pepper.
2 medium aubergines, sliced in rings.
Vegetable oil.
Ingredients: Béchamel sauce
75g butter.
75g flour.
175ml milk (add more if you like your béchamel thinner).
1 teaspoon nutmeg.
Method:
– Slice your aubergines into rings about 1cm thick.
– Heat enough oil in a pot to be able to fry them. Place two or three of the slices in at a time and cook until till they have turned golden brown.
– Leave them on a paper towel to soak up any excess fat.
– For the meat sauce, cut your onion into a small dice and using some vegetable oil begin to sauteé until soft.
– Add your cubed tomatoes and tomato pureé and season with salt, black pepper and sugar.
– Add your mince and begin to pan fry it. Usually, I would suggest browning the meat first and then add the tomatoes but this way, the meat soaks up the tomato sauce while it is browning and thus to make all the difference, let the meat and tomato marinate together till you are ready to assemble.
– To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter and then add the flour.
– Add the milk after you have combined the above and cooked it off for a minute or two. Begin pouring the milk slowly at first to combine the ingredients and so not to create lumps, and once you see it start to combine you can add faster. If you want it thinner just add more milk.
– Add salt, pepper and the nutmeg to season.
– Take a tray, pie dish or other serving dish and layer the ingredients.
– Begin with the aubergine, then the meat and the béchamel sauce.
– Repeat this process and once it is assembled, place it in hot oven and brown on the top.
– Serve.
Joudie Kalla is a Palestinian chef and a lover of Middle Eastern food. She runs Baity Kitchen Catering and recently launched an app named Palestine on a Plate to share Palestinian recipes and personal stories. Follow her on Twitter at @BaityKitchen.
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