Mixed Vegetable Casserole

This is a recipe I made for the very first time today for dinner. Please don’t let the unflattering pic above fool you-my camera is under repair and I took the pic with my cellphone. However, as for the bake, my parents thought it was delicious and definitely worth making again, maybe with some corned beef or minced meat added for good measure! Its a meal in itself and doesn't really need too much effort.

Moussaka-Veg and Non-veg

One reason why I like baked meals for dinner is because my mom used to make them most of the time. When we were teenagers, this moussaka was something my brother and I would wait for with bated breath. My mom didn't disappoint-she made sure she baked it at least once or twice a month. I think it's great that she liked to introduce us to different cuisines from around the world and liked trying out new recipes. Because of her, I'm more open to experimentation! Once she tried this recipe, it became a regular family favorite, and now even I can make it with my eyes closed!

Moussaka is a classic Greek casserole, perhaps the most well-known of all Greek dishes (could even be the brand ambassador of Greek cuisine!). It is a little more elaborate than the other dishes featured on this blog, but let me tell you that the effort it takes is well worth it. Make it on those nights that you have more time and are relaxed-it might take about 30 minutes to an hour to prepare, and then 30 minutes in an oven. Of course, now that I've watched my mom make it so many times and I've also tried my hand on it, there are some shortcuts and modifications that I've made to my mom's version, which might suit those who are lazybones like me.

I am in no way claiming that this is the original or classic moussaka recipe. If you search on the net or even in cookbooks, you'll find many different ways of making it. This one is just the way my mother used to make it!

Care for a slice?

      To serve 4
      For non vegetarians: 

1. 2 large eggplants (brinjals)-cut into discs and then into semicircles
2. 1 large potato, peeled and cut into thin discs, and then into semicircles
3. 2 large onions, thinly sliced into discs
4. 200 gram minced meat, washed and drained
5. 1 large onion, chopped fine
6. Half cup thick tomato puree
7. 10 flakes garlic, chopped fine
8. 1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs (or oregano, parsley, thyme)
9. 2 tablespoons butter
10. 2 tablespoons plain flour (maida)
11. 1 cup milk
12. Salt and pepper to taste
13. Cheese to be grated on top
14. Oil for frying

• For the brinjals-after they are cut, sprinkle salt on them and let them rest for 15 minutes (to drain out excess water and remove any bitterness). Then either deep fry them in hot oil or shallow fry them, until golden brown on both sides. Remove and place them on paper towels to drain out excess oil.
• For the potatoes-after they are cut, either deep fry or shallow fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on a paper towel.
• For the 2 large onions-after they are cut, shallow fry until golden brown and keep aside.
• For the meat sauce-Heat oil in a pan. Tip in the garlic, fry till the garlicky smell wafts out. Add the onions (chopped fine) and fry till translucent. Then add the minced meat and fry till brown in color. Add the dried herbs, salt and pepper to taste and cook with the lid closed till the meat is done (you could also pressure-cook this for 15 to 20 minutes).
• To make the bechamel sauce-Melt butter in a pan. Add the flour and stir around till a little brown. Then add the milk, salt and pepper to taste (add less salt if using salted butter). Make sure it doesn't become lumpy. It should be a nice creamy consistency. You could add cheese to this to make it a cheese sauce too.
• To assemble-In a baking dish, assemble half the brinjals in a single layer, top with the meat, put the tomato puree in blobs over the meat, then top with the fried onions and potatoes, another layer of brinjals, meat, and tomato puree. Finally top with the bechamel sauce. Grate cheese on top.
• Preheat oven to 200 C and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese has melted to a golden brown.
• Enjoy this with a green salad and toasted bread (hot garlic bread would be wonderful).

For Vegetarians:

Instead of the minced meat, use soya granules, soaked for 10 minutes in hot water and drained, then cook as for the meat sauce above. Layer with brinjals and potatoes.

For a full-on vegetarian version (recipe courtesy Neeraja chechi)-use a cup of mixed vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, tomatoes (no need to add tomato puree). Add a vegetarian stock cube and fry as for the meat sauce above (you could omit the soya granules). Layer with brinjals and potatoes.

For the calorie conscious:

Instead of frying the potatoes and brinjals, bake at 180C for 15 to 20 minutes or until brown.

Substitute zucchini for the brinjals.

And the pie goes to:

TIPS:

The shortcuts I use are-I add the tomato puree to the minced meat mixture while it is being cooked. Also, I omit the fried onions altogether.

Adding a glass of wine (red or white) and some grated cheese to the meat sauce would obviously make it more delicious (teetotalers wouldn't like this step though!)

Please note that how you layer this casserole is entirely up to your liking (I'm pretty democratic with recipes that way!)

Shepherd's Pie

Comfort food at its best. Who can resist potatoes and meat anyway?

This was one dish we used to have regularly at dinnertime when growing up (maybe because it was so easy to make!). I remember my mom would bake it at least 2 to 3 times a month and it's still a favorite, even though she doesn't bake as often as she used to . This is an old English classic casserole and it has many versions now, from many different countries. I think mom stuck to the original version and used only minced lamb and mashed potatoes and that is the way I always used to bake it. That is, until Kanchu aunty came along! 

Kanchu aunty, my dad's sister, made this dish for us once and she added other  vegetables like carrots also in it, which I thought was a great idea. The picture given below is actually of the pie she baked in our home nearly 2 years ago. I thought the way she arranged the mashed potato in a pretty grid-like pattern was really creative (usually the potato mash is just spread on top of the mince in a layer). It was worth keeping the photo all these years to finally find it's way on this blog!

Please don't expect the original, traditional recipe here. This is the much-modified family one!

Here's the recipe (one of the few my mom forgot to write in my recipe dairy!!):

1. Lamb (or even chicken) mince       500 g
2. Potatoes                                       4 big ones
3. Onions                                         1 big, chopped fine
4. Garlic                                           5 flakes, chopped fine
5. Mixed vegetables (or just carrots) Chopped fine, 1/2 cup (If you want to increase the health quotient of this, I suppose you can even add bean sprouts!
6. Dried herbs (thyme, rosemary)      1 tablespoon
7. Flour (maida or cornflour)             1 teaspoon
8. Worcester sauce                           1 tablespoon
9. Meat stock/broth                        1 cup (you can use 1-2 stock cubes mixed in 1 cup water also)
10. Butter                                         1 + 2 tablespoons
11. Milk                                            1 cup
12. Salt and pepper to taste

• Place the potatoes with enough water to cover, in a pressure cooker, put the lid on, wait for the steam, put the weight on, and simmer after the first whistle for 7-8 minutes.
• When it cools, peel the potatoes and mash them well with 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cup milk, salt, and pepper. It should feel soft and moist to the touch.
• Now heat a pan and add the 1 tablespoon butter.
• When it sizzles, throw in the onions, garlic, mixed vegetables (or just the carrots) and simmer for 5 minutes until the onions and vegetables are cooked.
• Now add in the washed and drained mince, mix well and cook covered till the meat is done (it will lose it's pink sheen and take on a brown tinge)
• Now season with the dried herbs, salt, pepper, Worcester sauce. Fry for a minute or so.
• Add the flour and the stock and stir till it thickens.
• Grease a bake-n-serve dish with a little butter.
• Tilt the mince-vegetable mixture onto it.
• Layer the potato mash on top (dot it with more butter if you like!). Poke all over with a fork or don't just poke, make some designs on it with a fork!
• If you're particularly creative, you can put the potato mash on in different designs, the way Kanchu aunty has done.
• Preheat oven to 200 C and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the top becomes a gorgeous golden brown that you just can't resist anymore!

PS: Try your best to wait 10 minutes at least before serving. Goes well with garlic bread, but you actually don't need anything else to go with this!