John Serra
All Recipes
TurkisheggplantlambAegean

Aegean Style Eggplant Moussaka

A Turkish-style moussaka with layered eggplant, spiced ground meat, and a tomato sauce. No béchamel, no cheese — lighter and more honest to its roots.

Turkish
Serves 6
Prep 45 minutes
Cook 1 hour
Total 1 hour 45 minutes

A Note on This Version

The Greek moussaka most people know is rich with béchamel and cheese. This version is Aegean — Turkish in origin, lighter in character. The eggplant is the centerpiece. The meat is the seasoning. The tomato does the binding.

No béchamel. No cheese. The result is a dish that lets the eggplant speak.

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggplants, sliced into 1cm rounds
  • 500g ground lamb (or a mix of lamb and beef)
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 400g canned crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Fresh flat-leaf parsley, to finish

Method

Prepare the Eggplant

  1. Salt the eggplant slices generously on both sides. Leave in a colander for 30 minutes to draw out moisture and bitterness.
  2. Pat completely dry with kitchen towel.
  3. Brush with olive oil and grill or pan-fry on high heat until golden and soft on both sides. Set aside.

Make the Meat Sauce

  1. Brown the ground meat in a wide pan on high heat. Season well. Remove and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
  2. In the same pan, soften the onion on medium heat for 8 minutes.
  3. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, and oregano. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Return the meat. Add tomato paste, stir for 2 minutes.
  5. Add crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until the sauce is thick and rich. It should not be wet.

Assemble

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
  2. In a baking dish, layer eggplant, then meat sauce. Repeat, finishing with a layer of eggplant.
  3. If you like, top with a thin spoon of crushed tomato and a drizzle of olive oil.
  4. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake another 10–15 minutes until the top is lightly caramelized.
  5. Rest at least 15 minutes before serving. It holds its layers better and the flavor deepens.

Serving

Serve with good bread and a simple salad. A dollop of plain yogurt on the side is traditional and welcome.

This dish is better the next day. Make it ahead when you can.