Egyptian Moussaka | The Mediterranean Dish (2024)

A lighter take on the classic Greek casserole, Egyptian moussaka layers saucy spiced ground beef with onion, bell peppers, garlic, and tender roasted eggplant. With no béchamel sauce, this gluten-free recipe is quick and easy enough for a weeknight.

You may be familiar with the famous Greek Moussaka, with its decadent layers of meat and creamy béchamel. Egyptian Moussaka (one of my mother’s specialties) has many of the same rich and delicious elements but there are a few key differences.

I skip the creamy bechamel sauce common in the Greek version and instead top the casserole with slabs of velvety roasted eggplant and crunchy pine nuts. This gives the dish a lighter vibe, perfect for the warmer weather. As a bonus, this hearty meal is great if you’re avoiding gluten.

I also add green peppers, which add a nice variety of texture and freshness, and our red sauce has a different flavor profile. The Greek version has warming spices that lean sweet, like cinnamon and nutmeg. Egyptian-style Moussaka is more savory and earthy, with coriander and paprika.

Whether it’s classic Greek moussaka, its vegetarian cousin, or the vegan version, which is in my first cookbook, I always oven-bake my moussaka. In Egypt, there are variations where the eggplant is fried in oil on the stovetop. Again, for ease and to keep things lighter, we’re not frying the eggplant here.

The result: an Egyptian-style moussaka recipe that’s a bit easier and lighter but still just as comforting, especially with a side of Pita Bread, gluten-free bread, or Lebanese Rice to soak up all the saucy goodness!

Egyptian Moussaka Ingredients and Substitutions

You may be surprised to learn that you can make something as special sounding as “Egyptian Moussaka” with simple ingredients from your local store. You’ll need:

• Globe eggplants: This smaller eggplant tends to have fewer seeds so they are not as bitter.
• Yellow onion and garlic add sweet and savory depth. You can swap the yellow onion for white onion or shallots.
• Green bell peppers add a fresh earthy flavor. You can swap with other bell peppers, but keep in mind they will be sweeter.
• Extra virgin olive oil is used to saute the vegetables. Any high-quality extra virgin variety you have will work well–and head over to our olive oil shop if you’re running low.
• Lean ground beef: Use somewhere around 90/10% beef to fat so you don’t weigh down the flavor.
• Seasonings: Coriander, sweet paprika, and red pepper flakes (or Aleppo pepper for a milder kick) add a warming, earthy, slightly spicy element to the sauce. Kosher salt and black pepper enhance the flavor.
• San Marzano tomatoes are sweeter than your standard canned tomatoes. Look for ones labeled “DOP” if you can, which means they were grown, processed, and packed in a specific geographical region according to certain standards and traditions—a guarantee of sorts that they’ll be sweet and rich. If you’re using standard canned tomatoes, you can always taste the sauce and sweeten it with a pinch of sugar.
• Parsley leaves lift the richness of the casserole with their lemony, peppery freshness. You can substitute with other tender green herbs, like cilantro, oregano, or basil.
• Pine nuts or almonds are optional but they add a nice crunch and buttery quality to the topping.

Ingredient Spotlight

We’re not shy with our spices in Egypt and we have many “go-tos” or “favorites.” But one of the spices you’ll almost always see in an Egyptian recipe is coriander—or a spice blend made with coriander, like ras el hanout.

You may be surprised to learn that coriander is simply dried cilantro seeds, though its flavor is quite different. And if you’re a die-hard no cilantro person don’t panic! You may find yourself dipping your toe in the coriander pool and thinking the water’s warm!

Coriander is earthy and warming. In many ways, it tastes similar to nutmeg, but with a slightly greener and more vegetal quality, like parsley (it’s from the same family).

• TRY IT: Order my favorite organic coriander at our spice shop.

How to Make Egyptian Moussaka

The first step is to get the eggplant salted, which forces out its water and gives it a better flavor and texture. From there, get your veggies prepped, get the eggplant softening, sauce going, layer, and bake. Here are the steps:

Soften the Eggplant

• Get ready. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Lightly oil a sheet pan.
• Salt the eggplant. Trim off the tops of 3 eggplants and slice each eggplant into ¼-inch rounds. Season the slices generously with salt and spread them in one single layer on a clean surface (like a baking tray or wire rack). Set aside for a few minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Get your veggies prepped. Coarsely chop 1 onion. Core, seed, and coarsely chop 2 green bell peppers. Mince 3 to 4 garlic cloves.
• Bake the eggplant. You should see beads of water form on the surface of the eggplant as it “sweats out” any bitterness. Use a paper towel to dry the eggplant well on both sides, removing any excess salt, then brush each slice generously with extra virgin olive oil. Arrange them without overlapping on the prepared sheet pan. Bake on the center rack of your heated oven for about 20 minutes, or until they begin to soften (they should not be fully cooked yet).

Make the Sauce

• Meanwhile, start the sauce. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic and season with a big pinch of salt. Cook the vegetables, tossing regularly, until they soften a bit, about 5 minutes.
• Cook the meat. Add 1 pound lean ground beef and use a wooden spoon to break the meat up. Cook until fully browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. If needed, carefully drain any excess liquid or fat in a heat-safe bowl and return the pan to the heat.
• Season the meat. Add 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper, and a big pinch of pepper and stir to combine.
• Simmer. Add one (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes and their juices and ⅓ cup of water. Break the tomatoes up a bit with the wooden spoon. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer while the eggplant finishes baking. Remove from the heat, taste, and add more salt to your liking.

Layer and Bake

• Assemble the moussaka. Prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish and lightly oil the bottom. Arrange half of the partially baked eggplant on the bottom and top with half of the sauce. Layer the remaining eggplant on top and cover it with the sauce. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
• Return to the oven to bake. Transfer the baking dish to the heated oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Then transfer to the broiler for just a few minutes until it gains some color.
• Garnish and serve. Remove from heat and finish with ¼ cup nuts (or sliced almonds) and ½ cup chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot or warm, with pita bread or rice if you’d like.

What to Serve with Egyptian Moussaka

Even without the bechamel, the layers of meat and slabs of eggplant make Egyptian-style Moussaka plenty hearty on its own. But with anything saucy, I like to have something to soak up the flavor.

I like to serve over rice, and the texture of this Lebanese Rice goes especially well with this recipe, but simple Basmati Rice would also be delicious. Gluten-free bread, Pita Bread, or Lavash are also great options.

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