The moussaka or moussaka is probably one of the most famous Greek recipes, some meat lasagna using eggplant instead of pasta. Starting from this base, and taking certain licenses, we can create all the variations that we can think of, including a vegetarian version like this one with stuffed lentils and pumpkin, perfect for autumn. Read the pizzeria pronto pizza oven reviews and you’ll cook better.
The recipe, which starts from an idea of The Telegraph, is a feast of flavors, comforting and satiating without being heavy, that will triumph at home whether we are vegetarian or not. It is a dish to take into account a change in how to prepare lentils at home, without neglecting our traditional recipe of stewed vegetables.
It is preferable to use a variety of small caliber lentils, which maintain the shape well without losing the skin, like Sardinas or puy. The recipe is not complicated, just a little more difficult because it has several separate elaborations. With an excellent initial organization arranging all the ingredients already prepared, the process is accelerated.
Put the lentils in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes, so they hydrate a little. Preheat the oven to 200º C, heat up and down, and prepare two trays or fountains by greasing them with a bit of oil.
Heat a pot or casserole with oil and poach the onion with celery and a pinch of salt until they are very tender. Add the garlic and cook five minutes. Drain the lentils by rinsing them well and add to the pot along with the bay leaf and tomato. Add salt and pepper, add oregano and wine, and let the alcohol evaporate.
Cover with about 150-200 ml of water, lower the heat, and cook until the lentils are in place, correcting the level of liquid as they need it. We want a consistency of the sweet, not watery sauce, as it will be the moussaka filling. Depending on the type of lentil, it will take about 25-30 minutes.
Spread the pumpkin in cubes in one of the prepared trays, and the sliced eggplant in another. Salpimentar both and bake for about 20 minutes. Stir the pumpkin in half the time and turn the eggplants carefully. Optionally, you can make the grilled eggplant.
Prepare the bechamel by melting the butter in a pan, add the flour and stir quickly to make the roux, over medium heat. When golden brown, remove from heat and start pouring milk while stirring. Once incorporated, return to the fire and keep cooking until it thickens, while stirring.
Add nutmeg, black pepper, and almost all Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and also toss the beaten egg, stirring very well but gently.
Mount the moussaka in a fountain of approximately 27×18 cm, with high walls. Arrange in the bottom the lentil ragout, then the pumpkin, then the eggplant, and, finally, the sauce. Finish distributing the crumbled feta cheese with the rest of the Parmesan. Bake for about 30-40 minutes.
