Moussaka is a name of various traditional dishes in the Balkans and the Middle East. The most famous is the Greek version with aubergines. The Bulgarian one consists diced potatoes and minced meat, but there are also variations in the composition and quantity of the ingredients.
In Bulgaria, the skill for cooking moussaka is considered to be one of the main criteria for assessing culinary skills, so phrases like “you can’t cook unless you can make a good moussaka” can be often heard. 🙂
The specialty is also a must in the list of dishes for foreigners wishing to taste the traditional Bulgarian cuisine. So, with irresistible taste and aroma, it easily becomes everyone’s favorite dish.
A classic combination is to enjoy it with a fresh cold soup – tarator, especially on hot summer days.
Moussaka
Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes
- 350 g minced meat (veal and pork)
- 1 onion (about 100 g)
- 1 carrot (about 60 g)
- 150 ml tomato sauce
- 250 ml water
- 5 tbsp oil (sunflower or olive)
- 1 tsp ground red pepper
- 1 tsp savory
- q.s. black pepper
- q.s. salt
For topping:
- 3 eggs
- 300 ml yoghurt
- 1 tsp flour
- parsley (fresh)
Instructions
- Peel, wash and cut the potatoes into small cubes.
- Peel, wash and finely chop the onion and the carrot; after that stir-fry in the oil.
- Add the minced meat and cook it for some minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the tomato sauce and the spices (ground red pepper, black pepper, savory, salt).
- Add the potatoes and the water and let it boil.
- Transfer it to a baking tray and cook it in a preheated oven at 200° for about 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the yoghurt and the flour. Then pour the mixture over the moussaka.
- Bake it for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve with finely chopped fresh parsley and yoghurt (optional).
