Moussaka (Cold Eggplant Lasagna)

The first recipe of the month of Ramadan and I'm going in full force with my favorite Middle Eastern recipe, Moussaka. I'll tell you one thing that you may not know, but Middle Eastern food can be very similar to Greek food. The Greeks enjoy this recipe as much as Middle Easterners do. It comes in many shapes and forms but Moussaka is a very popular dish. This is one of my favorite meals because it can be served hot or cold. It's in the name - the word Moussaka originates from the Arabic word "saqaa", which translates to "chilly" because it's best served cold!

This meal consists of only eggplant, chickpeas, onions, and tomatoes but you couldn't get a yummier dinner than this. Not only is it so flavorful, but it is so nutritious. If you know how to make a lasagna, this dinner is going to be so simple for you to make. You're going to impress your friends and family with this one without a doubt! So, if you love eggplant as much as I do, keep reading to get the recipe!

Yields: 4-6

Portion size: 1-2 eggplant

Prep time: 15 minutes

Total time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan.

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Ingredients:

2 eggplants, sliced into 4 thin strips

Extra virgin olive oil

Salt

½ large white onion, finely diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp mild harissa

5 medium tomatoes or 2 15oz cans diced tomatoes

1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro

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Instructions:

1. Broil: preheat your oven to broil on 400.

2. Prep eggplant: Grab a baking pan and add the eggplant strips onto the pan. Drizzle on olive oil and salt well. Broil in oven until eggplant slices are tender. Flip eggplant slices midway.

3. Prep veggies: Prep tomato, onion, and garlic.

4. Make sauce: Place large baking pan on stove top on medium high heat. Add 4 tbsp olive oil. Add garlic and onion. Sauté until aromatic. Add in harissa and stir it in. Add the chopped tomatoes once garlic and onion have soften. Add 1 tbsp salt. Sauté 5-8 minutes - you'll notice the tomatoes soften. Turn the stove off once the sauce is thick and consistent.

5. Create lasagna: gently remove the eggplant out of the oven and grab a 1.5 quart pyrex dish. Add ½ sauce into dish. Layer on 4 eggplant. Repeat (layer on the rest of the sauce and layer on the other 4 eggplant). Drizzle on olive oil. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes covered with aluminum foil. 10 minutes in, add the chickpeas in and cover again. Cook until eggplant and chickpeas have softened - another 10 minutes max. Keep an eye on the eggplant, each oven is different.

6. Serve: garnish each dish with cilantro. Enjoy with a fork or with pita bread.

Xoxo,

#averagearabgirl