Lentil moussaka
Roasted eggplant layered with a cinnamon-scented lentil and tomato sauce under a thick, golden parmesan béchamel, the Greek showstopper made meatless and worth every minute.
- 120 min total
- 50 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 6
- About $1.94 a serving
- 450 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 2 eggplant, cut into ½-inch rounds
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup lentils, brown or green, rinsed
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup grated parmesan
From your pantry
- ⅓ cup olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1½ cups water
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
Each serving has about 450 calories, 18 g protein, 52 g carbs and 22 g fat, and costs about $1.94 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No crushed tomatoes? Diced tomatoes work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
- No grated parmesan? Parmesan wedge works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 425°F. Brush the eggplant rounds on both sides with 3 tablespoons of the oil, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, and lay them on two rimmed baking sheets.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until soft and .
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 22 min
Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion 6 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, cinnamon and oregano for 1 minute.
Medium heatTimer: 6 min
Add the tomatoes, lentils, water and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and 25 to 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are tender and the sauce is thick.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 27 min
the butter in a over medium heat, in the flour, and cook 1 minute.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Medium heat
Pour in the milk slowly, the whole time, and 4 to 5 minutes, until thick like pudding. Take it off the heat and whisk in the parmesan and ½ teaspoon salt.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Medium heatTimer: 4 min
Dolly’s tip: Add the first splash of milk slowly and whisk it smooth before adding more. That’s how you avoid lumps.Turn the oven down to 375°F. Layer half the eggplant in a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread all the lentil sauce over it, and cover with the rest of the eggplant.
Pour the béchamel over the top and spread it to the edges.
30 to 35 minutes, until in spots and bubbling.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Timer: 32 min
Let it rest 20 minutes before cutting so the layers hold.
Timer: 20 min
Dolly’s tip: Cut it hot and it slumps. Rested, it slices into neat squares.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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