Moussaka
by Tarla Dalal

Slices of grilled brinjals interlaced with a creamy vegetable mixture and a tangy tomato sauce create a delightful combination of delicate flavours in this classic greek favourite.

To cut down on calories, I have used a low calorie white sauce made with a bottle gourd purée instead of using the usual white sauce.

The brinjal, the vegetable layer and the tomato sauce can be prepared in advance to make a hearty meal in no time by just assembling the ingredients and baking them.

Being baked in an oven this dish makes use of very little oil and provides oodles of valuable nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron along with fibre.

Also try other diabetic friendly international recipes like Dalia Vegetable Risotto and Mexican Pita Pockets .

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Moussaka recipe - How to make Moussaka

For The Brinjal Layer
1/2 large brinjal (baingan / eggplant) , cut into thin slices (12-15 slices)
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

For The Vegetable Layer
1/4 cup chopped yellow capsicum
1/4 cup chopped red capsicum
1/4 cup chopped green capsicum
1 cup sliced mushrooms (khumbh)
1/2 cup chopped bottle gourd (doodhi / lauki)
2 garlic (lehsun) cloves , finely chopped
1 green chilli , chopped
1 large celery (ajmoda) stalk , finely chopped
1 tbsp whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
1/2 cup low fat milk
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

For The Tomato Sauce
4 large sized tomatoes
2 bayleaves (tejpatta)
4 to 6 black peppercorns (kalimirch)
1 small onion , chopped
1 tsp garlic (lehsun) , chopped
1/2 capsicum , deseeded
2 tbsp tomato puree (optional)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp olive oil or oil
salt to taste

Method
For the brinjal layer

Apply a little salt on the brinjal slices and keep aside for 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and cook the brinjal slices, a few slices at a time, till both sides are golden brown. Keep aside.

For the vegetable layer

Boil the bottle gourd in ½ cup of water until soft. Blend in a liquidiser to a smooth purée. (pressure cooking is also faster).
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the garlic, green chilli and celery and sauté for a few seconds.
Add the yellow capsicum, red capsicum, green capsicum, mushrooms and wheat flour and sauté for a few minutes.
Add the prepared bottle gourd purée, milk, mixed herbs and salt and cook till the mixture is thick. Keep aside.

For the tomato sauce

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water.
Peel, cut into quarters and deseed the tomatoes.
Chop finely and keep the tomato pulp aside.
Heat the olive oil, add the bay leaves and peppercorns and sauté for a few seconds.
Add the onion, garlic and capsicum and sauté for a few minutes.
Add the tomato pulp (step 3) and allow it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce volume reduces a little.
Add the tomato purée and salt and simmer for some more time.
Finally add the oregano and mix well. Remove the capsicum, bay leaves and peppercorns and discard. Use as required.

How to proceed

Arrange half the cooked brinjal slices to form a layer on the base of 150 mm. (6") diameter baking dish.
Place the vegetable layer over the brinjal slices.
Top with another layer of brinjal slices.
Cover with the tomato sauce.
Bake in a hot oven at 200°c (400°f) for 15 minutes.
Serve hot.

Disclaimer:

It is highly recommended that this recipe be relished by diabetics only occasionally and in small quantities. This is just a mere ‘treat’ and does not qualify for a regular diabetic menu.

Nutrient values per serving

Amt

181 gm

Energy

99 kcal

Protein

3.4 gm

Cho

12.2 gm

Fat

4.2 ngm

Vit-A

460.6 mcg

Vit-C

69.2 mg

Calcium

93.1 mg

Iron

1.4 mg

F.Acid

30.8 mcg

Fibre

1.6 gm

Madhus Cook Book

on 12 Mar 21 05:44 AM

The taste is great but I have to make minor modification. This is a Greek recipe but as Indians, we are not used to eating just vegetables (without carbs, roti or rice or pasta). I substituted crushed red pepper instead of green chillis and zucchini for mushroom (this is my standard substitute for all recipes which use mushroom). Used only 1/4 cup water to cook bottle gourd. The picture showed cheese , though it was not in the recipe , I topped it with cheese. Since eating by itself is not possible, I made spaghetti and ate along with it since the taste resembled to that of eggplant parmesan. Definitely a party recipe (have to double the quantity). It only serves 3 people made as one dish but when there are other dishes too, it can serve 4.

Tarla Dalal