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Rich & Creamy Green Lentil Greek Moussaka (Longer Recipe)

  • Writer: eatofthemomentblog
    eatofthemomentblog
  • Jun 4, 2020
  • 4 min read

Although for the most part I tend to stick to quick & simple recipes (because I'm an impatient cook at heart), sometimes I like to push myself and give a more complex recipe a go. This green lentil moussaka is definitely one of the hardest recipes I've made, simply because there are so many ingredients and you have to be SO on the ball with your timings. It basically proved to me that I would fail miserably being a professional chef - it tasted great but took me way longer than it should have!


I first tried moussaka a few years ago when my grandma made a lamb version for a family dinner, and it was so delicious! My grandma's cooking is always so yummy and great, so I was always going to enjoy it, however I also remember noticing that the flavours of the dish itself were so rich, yet also subtle. To me it was like a lasagne, but with a distinctly sweeter flavour. Not to be dramatic, but it was nothing like I'd ever tasted before and I was hooked!


So, after pining after moussaka for a couple of years, I decided to have a crack at it myself. I came across this green lentil version in my new Flexitarian cookbook, and since I try to eat minimal amounts of meat it was perfect! The dish was extremely tasty, and the use of lentils instead of lamb mince didn't take anything away from it in my opinion, although I will be making a lamb version soon too. Check out the clip on YouTube below for a step-by-step walk through, and read on for the full ingredient list & method.

Ingredients:

  • One large aubergine

  • Half a leek

  • One medium sized carrot

  • Half a white onion

  • Three large salad tomatoes

  • Two garlic cloves

  • Two tablespoons of tomato puree

  • Six tablespoons of olive oil

  • One teaspoon of ground cinnamon

  • One bay leaf - dried or fresh (I used dried)

  • One tablespoon of dried oregano

  • 100 grams of green lentils - make sure these are dried not pre-cooked!

  • 100 grams of cheddar cheese (the original recipe uses Pecorino style cheese, but I prefer cheddar - extra mature of course!)

  • Two eggs

  • 15 grams of plain flour

  • 250 millilitres of plain Greek yogurt

  • A stick of butter (to grease the ovenproof dish)

  • A teaspoon of nutmeg (the original recipe uses fresh, however I couldn't find it in the shop so just used dried nutmeg from my spice rack instead!)

  • Salt & pepper

Method:

  1. Slice your aubergine, then chop each slice into three pieces and put to the side

  2. Then peel your carrot, dice into tiny chunks and put to the side

  3. Next, finely chop your onion, put to the side, then wash, trim and slice your leek

  4. Next move on to your garlic - finely chop both cloves, then put to the side and chop the tomatoes into quarters

  5. Now all your veg is prepped, add half of the oil to a large roasting tin, chuck in the chopped aubergine, season generously with rock salt and bake in the oven at 160 degrees (c) / gas mark 4 for half an hour

  6. Whilst that's cooking, add the other half of the oil to a large pan and throw in the garlic, onion & leek and fry for a few minutes until everything's softened & golden

  7. Next, add the carrot, tomato puree, cinnamon, oregano and bay leaf and stir in well

  8. In another pan, add your green lentils and cover with cold water

  9. Set both pans to a medium-high heat and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

  10. Whilst they're cooking away, crack your eggs into a measuring jug and beat well

  11. Once beaten, throw in your flour, whisk until smooth and then pour in the plain Greek yogurt & stir

  12. Season with salt, pepper & the nutmeg and stir again

  13. Grate your cheese and leave to the side

  14. By now, the aubergine should be cooked, so take it out of the oven and leave to the side

  15. Check that your lentils are cooked (they should be soft when you bite into them, so test one to check), then drain & add them to the other pan, stir in and take this off the heat

  16. Grab your stick of butter and grease the bottom & sides of a medium sized ovenproof glass dish (it should be around 24cm x 18cm x 5cm)

  17. Lay half the aubergine on the bottom of the dish, then pile on half of the lentil mix, and repeat

  18. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top, then pour over the yogurt mixture and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of this

  19. Pop in the oven (same heat as before) for half an hour, then dish up & tuck in!

Considering I usually limit myself to recipes you can make in a hurry (as I said above, I'm impatient) I was really happy with how this lentil moussaka turned out - and how patient I was! The lentil mix was sweet and slightly spiced, the aubergines were delicious and salty, and the topping was rich and creamy, which perfectly contrasted the rest of the dish. My partner isn't too keen on lentils, and even he gobbled it down with no complaints!


One thing I will mention is that it does take a long time; including prep time it probably took me about three hours, so don't start cooking at 7.30pm like I did! I think it's the perfect dish to make for family or friends, but it's also easily popped in the fridge or freezer to eat the next day. The measurements above make three portions, so we actually had a half portion each with a side salad the next day which made for a delightful summertime dish. My only recommendation if you do give this a go yourself, is to maybe double up on the aubergine as the slices shrink down when roasted, and it's so delicious that I could've happily done with more of it!


So, if you want to push yourself like I did and are bored with a bit of time to spare, why not give this a go? If you live by yourself, you can make three meals at once, and if not it makes for a yummy family meal that's a little different from what you might usually cook. Let me know what you think in the comments! Happy cooking!


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