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turkish moussaka

Simple Turkish Moussaka Recipe

A comforting Turkish dish using a sumac and pepper paste seasoned tomato sauce with ground beef and roasted eggplant.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Nutrition

Calories: 490kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 2086mg | Potassium: 1427mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1055IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 5mg
Calories: 490kcal
Author: Max Cozzi
Servings: 4 (with rice or pita)

Ingredients

Eggplant Moussaka

  • 2 large eggplants
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon salt (divided)
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper (divided)
  • 1 white onion (diced)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • 1 tablespoon Aleppo pepper
  • 2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 lb ground beef (or ground lamb)
  • 2 cups crushed canned tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoon Turkish red pepper paste (or tomato paste)
  • fresh mint (for garnish)

Yogurt Sauce

  • 2 tablespoon Greek yogurt
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 2 tablespoon fresh dill (minced)
  • 1 lemon (juiced)

Instructions

  • Heat your oven to 400°, cut the eggplant into large pieces, about 2" and place on a sheet pan. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Toss well and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is very soft and tender. Set aside.
  • Heat a large fry pan or sauté pan to medium-high and add the rest of the olive oil, onion, garlic, sumac, Aleppo pepper, coriander, and bay leaf. Season with another pinch of salt and black pepper and sauté for about 6-7 minutes or until the onions start to brown.
  • Push the onions to one side of the pan and add the ground beef. Break the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon and let cook undisturbed for about 6-7 minutes, or until the bottom of the meat starts to brown.
  • Then, add the tomatoes, Turkish pepper paste, and roasted eggplant to the pan. Mix well and cover and cook for 20 minutes on low heat.
  • While the moussaka is cooking, mix the yogurt sauce. Add the Greek yogurt, garlic, dill, and lemon juice to a small bowl and mix well.
  • Serve the moussaka with the yogurt sauce and some fresh mint on top.

Video

Notes

To save time, you can make the meat sauce while the eggplant is roasting. 
This dish goes great with a side of rice or pita bread!
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
Keyword: eggplant, ground beef, meat sauce, roasted, tomato sauce, yogurt sauce
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