Categories: Meat

Moussaka with spicy tomato sambal from Harissa

Average

Preparation time: 60 minutes | Cooking time: 35 minutes

4 people

>60 min

A spicy twist on traditional moussaka. The harissa sambal gives the tomato-based meat sauce a vibrant flavor.

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Traditional moussaka is a popular oven dish. Want to try something different? Try this moussaka with harissa sambal. Traditional flavors with a bit of a kick. The harissa sambal adds a unique flavor to the tomato-based meat sauce.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Peel 1 onion and the garlic cloves and roughly chop. Roughly chop the red and bird's-eye chili peppers. Blend them in a food processor with the onion and garlic until a paste forms. Dice the tomatoes. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and sauté the chili pepper paste for 2 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, and World Spice Blend - Harissa. Simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.

Melt 20g of butter in a pan. Add the flour and cook for 5 minutes. Add the milk to the flour, whisking constantly. Season with black pepper and 1 teaspoon of sea salt and cook for 5 minutes, or until the mixture has the consistency of yogurt. Beat the eggs. Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk the eggs into the sauce.

Peel and finely chop the remaining onion. Heat the remaining butter in a pan and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the ground beef, cinnamon, and nutmeg and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato passata, 3 tablespoons of harissa sambal, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 0.5 cm thick slices. Bring a pan of water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes. Drain.

Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1 cm slices. Sprinkle the remaining sea salt over the eggplant and let it sit for 10 minutes. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels. Brush the eggplant with 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the eggplant until golden brown, 4 minutes, turning halfway through.

Spread half the potatoes in the dish, followed by half the eggplant, half the béchamel sauce, and the ground meat mixture. Make a second layer with the remaining potatoes, eggplant, and béchamel sauce. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

Make a dressing with the remaining olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle the dressing over the lamb's lettuce. Serve with the moussaka.