Vegetarian moussaka with lentil ragu

This moussaka with lentil sauce is a vegetarian version of the traditional Greek dish. It incorporates grilled eggplant, white sauce and a east lentil sauce. Everything baked underneath a crispy cheese layer.

Vegetarian moussaka with lentil ragu

Vegetarian version of moussaka with eggplants and lentil ragu.

Course Main Course, second course

Cuisine vegetarian

Keyword eggplant, hot vegetarian dish, lentils, traditional Italian, vegetarian main course, white sauce

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 40

Servings persons

Calories 423kcal

Ingredients

Ingredients for white sauce

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
30 g all-purpose flour
salt pepper and nutmeg to taste
500 ml warm milk

Ingredients for lentils and mousakka

3 long eggplants
1 leek
1 carrot
1 celery
1 can of lentils
1 can of diced tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil

Instructions

Instructions: White sauce with garlic

For the sauce: heat the oil with garlic and cook over low heat, turning often, until it turns brown but it is not burned.
Discard the garlic, take off the pan from the heat and add the flour, stirring well with a whisk. Cook and stir the flour-butter mixture over low – medium heat for about 2 minutes. This mixture is called roux and you should be careful not to burn it. It should get a beautiful golden color.
Begin to add the previously heated milk, stirring vigorously to avoid the creation of lumps. This step can be done with cold milk but it facilitates the creation of lumps. Continue until you have finished all the milk then add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Continue cooking for 4 – 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and begins to boil.
Turn off the heat. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Cover the sauce with plastic wrap so that it adheres on the sauce (this step prevents the formation of “skin” on the surface) and set aside.

Instructions vegetarian moussaka with lentil sauce

Wash the eggplant. Remove the stem and cut into long slices about 1/2 – 1 cm high. Put them in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and set aside for half an hour.
After this time, rinse and dry each slice with kitchen paper. Grill on a non-stick frying pan or on a grill pan by coating each slice with a little oil then set aside.
Chop the carrot, leek and celery. Put them in a pan with a tablespoon of oil and cook over medium heat for 3 – 4 minutes.
Add the drained lentils and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring often.
Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. And continue cooking for another 15 minutes in a covered pot, stirring occasionally.
Finish with lentil sauce, sprinkle the surface with grated Parmesan cheese and bake at 180 degrees for about 1 hour. Cover with the aluminum foil if it is getting brown too fast.
Put alternating layers of eggplant, white sauce and lentil sauce in a rectangular baking dish (I used 18 x 25 cm baking dish).
Let it cool down a little before serving.