Moussaka is an eggplant or potato-based dish found in Balkan, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Central Asian cuisine. In Turkey, Moussaka is served as a casserole and consumed warm or at room temperature with pilav and cacık.

Ingredients

• 400g aubergines, peeled in strips resembling a zebra pattern and cut into 2-3 cm cubes
• 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 400g minced beef or lamb
• 400g chopped tomatoes, or 450g sun-ripened tomatoes in season, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 + 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons pul biber pepper (Aleppo pepper)
• Small handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Water
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 230°C.
2. Mix aubergines with 4 tablespoons olive oil and seasoning.
3. Roast in oven until aubergines are soft, around 20-25 minutes. Don’t open oven door before at least 20 minutes – aubergines create their own steam which ensures their remaining juicy and tender and not drying out. Steam will be released if you open the oven door.
4. Fry onion and a pinch of salt with 3 tablespoons olive oil in thick based pot over medium heat. Stir regularly, until soft but not browned, about 8-10 minutes.
5. Turn up heat and add minced beef or lamb. Stir regularly to break up mince, but too much to allow meat to brown.
6. When meat is nearly cooked through, add pul biber and tomato paste. Fry for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly, until everything is well mixed.
7. Add chopped tomatoes and 200ml of water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower heat and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
8. Carefully mix in baked aubergines and flat-leaf parsley.
9. Season to taste and add more pul biber if necessary.
10. Continue to simmer for about 5-15 minutes, until nearly all of water has evaporated. Stir as little as possible to avoid mushing aubergines. Serve hot.

Afiyet olsun! Enjoy!