Oriental Eggplant and Ground Beef Casserole (Moussaka)

Ingredients

• 300 g eggplants (2 eggplants)
• Salt
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 Spring Onions
• 1 Shallot
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500 g ground beef
• 150 ml vegetable juice
• 400 g peeled tomatoes (canned)
• black pepper (ground)
• a pinch of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp dried oregano

Instructions

1. 1.

   Clean, wash eggplants and slice into 0.5 cm thick rounds. Sprinkle with salt and let soak in water for about 30 minutes.

2. 2.

   Wash bell peppers, halve, core, and cut into strips. Wash spring onions, shake dry and cut only the white parts into rings. Peel shallot and garlic and finely dice them.

3. 3.

   Heat oil in a pan and sauté shallot and garlic until translucent. Add ground beef and brown it. Deglaze with vegetable juice and pour in tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and oregano; simmer over medium heat for 15–20 minutes and taste again.

4. 4.

   Pat eggplant slices dry with a kitchen towel and layer them with bell pepper strips and meat mixture in a round baking dish (22 cm diameter) like roof tiles. Sprinkle with onion rings and bake in preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan; gas level 3) for 35–40 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.