Go Back
moussaka without bechamel sauce, covered in pine nuts, sweet peppers and grilled aubergine. lemon, parsley and rosemary

Greek – Egyptian Inspired Moussaka Recipe (No Béchamel)

Take a culinary trip with this Mediterranean Fusion Moussaka Recipe, where Greek and Egyptian traditions meet. 🍆 Made with seasoned lamb and layers of goodness, this version skips the béchamel sauce for a lighter, yet indulgent dish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 2 hours
Resting Time 1 hour
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Egyptian, Greek
Calories: 550
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams lamb shoulder* cut into medium sized pieces *the chef has used a mix of shoulder and ribs
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper powder
  • 1 teaspoon fresh red chilli or dried chilli flakes or cayenne pepper powder
  • ½ cup onions, diced any variety
  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 100 grams garlic
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 1 cup sweet peppers or bell peppers
  • 1 large potato, roughly cubed
  • 1 large aubergine (eggplant)
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1 cup tomatoes, roughly chopped *the chef has used green tomatoes
  • 1 cup beef / veal or lamb stock
  • 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Equipment

  • Oven
  • baking dish
  • non-stick sauce pan

Method
 

  1. Split 100 grams garlic into three equal parts. Dry roast one part, finely chop one part and finely slice the third part.
Lamb Sauce
  1. Lightly roast all the dry spices on a medium flame for a minute to activate the oils (1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon fresh red chilli or dried chilli flakes or cayenne pepper powder). Remove and set aside
  2. Turn the heat up to high and in the same pan, sear the lamb pieces on all sides. Remove and set aside.
  3. In the same pan add 1/2 cup diced onions, and 1 cup chopped tomatoes and the 30 grams of raw chopped garlic with 2 tablespoons butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the toasted spices. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the fresh herbs. Add 1 cup stock and mix to deglaze the pan (scrape the bottom of the pan with the liquid). Set aside.
  4. In a pot with a lid add 1 tablespoon olive oil. On a low heat add the thinly sliced garlic, fry until lightly golden brown (they will get darker once you take it out) put on a paper towel to drain the oil and crisp up. Sprinkle a little salt on it while it’s still hot.
  5. In the remaining oil add 1 cup potato cubes, sauté until lightly browned. Add the seared lamb along with the onion and tomato mix and the roasted garlic. Add 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and salt to taste and mix well.
  6. Put the lid on and turn it to the lowest heat setting. Let this cook for an hour and a half (stirring every 20 minutes) or until the meat is falling off the bone, and the sauce has thickened.
  7. On a very high heat roast the peppers in the same pan until the outside is charred. Remove from heat and finely chop half the peppers and set aside.
  8. Once the lamb is cooked and fork-tender, set it aside to cool. Once cooled, fish out all the meat pieces, remove and discard the bones and shred with your hands into chunks.
  9. Mash the sauce (without the shredded lamb pieces) with a potato masher, the back of your ladle or blitz in a food processor until it is a thick but chunky sauce.
  10. Add the chopped peppers to a pan on medium heat, sauté, add 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, some salt, then add the lamb sauce. Mix well. If the sauce is thin, cook a little until it thickens. Add the shredded lamb back into the sauce and mix through on the heat for another 30 seconds. Turn off the heat, add zest and juice of one lemon and the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and mix through.
Aubergine Layer
  1. Cut 1 large aubergine into 1/2 an inch thick slices. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and set aside for 20 minutes for it to drain out excess water. (The chef put it in a sieve over a bowl)
  2. Put a little cooking oil In a non-stick pan on high heat, fry the aubergine on both sides until browned. Leave it a little raw on the inside, it will cook further in the oven. Set aside.
Layer the Moussaka
  1. In a small baking tin or dish, add a thin layer of olive oil. Place slices of the cooked aubergine slices to form the bottom layer. Spread half of the meat and sauce on top, sprinkle 1 tablespoon pine nuts. Add another layer of aubergine, and top with another layer of the remaining meat and sauce.
  2. On top of this put the remaining charred peppers, cut into half lengthwise, and sprinkle over with salt and 1 tablespoon pine nuts. Add a generous glug of olive oil on top.
  3. Put in the oven at 150℃ (300℉) for 30 minutes.
  4. Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting into it.
  5. Top with fried garlic and serve.