Moussaka

Moussaka from musaqqaʿa; means " chilled " , (names borrowed by other languages: , South Slavic : musaka / мусака , , - from the Turkish word for aubergine, patlıcan ) is an aubergine -based dish of the Balkans , Eastern Mediterranean , and the Middle East . Though its variations are part of all the national cuisines of the former Ottoman empire and has an Arabic name, in the West it is best-known in its Greek form. All versions are based primarily on sautéed eggplant (aubergine) and tomato , usually with minced meat. The Greek version, which is the best-known outside the region, includes layers of meat and aubergine topped with a white sauce and baked. Turkish musakka , on the other hand, is not layered. Instead, it is prepared with sautéed aubergines, green peppers , tomatoes, onions , and minced meat. It is eaten with cacık and pilaf . There are also variants with zucchini , carrots and potatoes. The Bulgarian version uses potatoes instead of aubergines. In the Arab world, moussaka is a cooked salad made up primarily of tomatoes and aubergine, similar to Italian parmigiana , and is usually served cold as a mezze dish. In the usual Greek three-layer recipe, the bottom layer consists of aubergine slices sautéed in olive oil ; the middle layer is ground lamb cooked with onion, garlic , chopped tomatoes, herbs , and spices ( cinnamon , allspice and black pepper ); and the top layer is a béchamel sauce or egg custard (probably introduced by Tselementes in the 1920s). Each layer is cooked on its own and then they are layered in a pan and baked until the top layer is browned. Moussaka is usually served lukewarm, as it keeps its shape better. In the rest of the Balkans, the top layer is often a custard . Grated cheese or bread crumbs are often sprinkled on top. There are variations on this basic recipe, sometimes with no sauce, sometimes with other vegetables. The most common variant in Greece may include courgette ( zucchini ), part-fried potatoes or sautéed mushrooms in addition to the aubergine. There is even a fast-day version in the Greek cookbook by Tselementes which includes neither meat nor béchamel sauce , just vegetables (ground aubergine is used instead of ground meat), tomato sauce, and bread crumbs. In some cases, moussaka is also decoratively layered on top of grape leaves (a common ingredient in Greek cuisine , also used for example in dolmades ). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language .

Moussaka is an eggplant - (aubergine) or potato-based dish, often including ground meat , in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire , with many local and regional variations. In Turkey , it is sautéed and served in the style of a casserole , and consumed warm or at room temperature. In Arabic countries , a variant is eaten cold. In the Balkans , the dish is layered and typically served hot.

Eggplant- (aubergine) or potato-based dish Moussaka ( / m uː ˈ s ɑː k ə / , / ˌ m uː s ə ˈ k ɑː / or / ˌ m uː s ɑː ˈ k ɑː / ) is an eggplant - (aubergine) or potato-based dish, often including ground meat , in the Levant , Middle East , Greece , and Balkans , with many local and regional variations. The most famous version of the dish today appeared in the 1920s with the publishing of Nikolaos Tselementes ' culinary book in Greece . Many versions have a top layer made of milk-based sauce thickened with egg ( custard ) or flour ( béchamel sauce ). In Greece , the dish is layered and typically served hot. In Turkey , thinly sliced eggplant is fried and served in a tomato-based meat sauce. Turkish mussaka may be consumed warm or at room temperature. In the Arab countries it is often eaten cold, but is also served hot in some regions.

Dish of layered vegetables, sauce and meat Moussaka ( / m uː ˈ s ɑː k ə / , UK also / ˌ m uː s ə ˈ k ɑː / , US also / ˌ m uː s ɑː ˈ k ɑː / ) is an eggplant - or potato-based dish, often including ground meat , which is common in the Balkans and the Middle East , with many local and regional variations. The modern Greek variant was created in the 1920s by Nikolaos Tselementes . Many versions have a top layer made of milk-based sauce thickened with egg ( custard ) or flour ( béchamel sauce ). In Greece , the dish is layered and typically served hot. Tselementes also proposed a vegan variant for orthodox fast days . Romania also has a vegan version that replaces meat with mushrooms or a mix of sautéed onions and rice. The versions in Egypt , Turkey and the rest of the Middle East are quite different. In Egypt, messa'aa can be made vegan or vegetarian as well as with meat; in all cases, the main ingredient is the fried eggplant. In Turkey, mussaka consists of thinly sliced and fried eggplant served in a tomato-based meat sauce, warm or at room temperature. In Saudi Arabia muṣagga‘a is eaten hot, but in other Arab countries , it is often eaten cold, but occasionally hot as well.

Dish of layered vegetables, sauce and meat Moussaka ( / m uː ˈ s ɑː k ə / , UK also / ˌ m uː s ə ˈ k ɑː / , US also / ˌ m uː s ɑː ˈ k ɑː / ; see below ) is an eggplant (aubergine)- or potato-based dish, often including ground meat , which is common in the Balkans and the Middle East , with many local and regional variations. The modern Greek variant was created in the 1920s by Nikolaos Tselementes . Many versions have a top layer made of milk-based sauce thickened with egg ( custard ) or flour ( béchamel sauce ). In Greece , the dish is layered and typically served hot. Tselementes also proposed a vegan variant for orthodox fast days . Romania also has a vegan version that replaces meat with mushrooms or a mix of sautéed onions and rice. The versions in Egypt , Turkey and the rest of the Middle East are quite different. In Egypt, mesaqa‘ah can be made vegan or vegetarian as well as with meat; in all cases, the main ingredient is the fried eggplant. In Turkey, mussaka consists of thinly sliced and fried eggplant served in a tomato-based meat sauce, warm or at room temperature. In Saudi Arabia , muṣagga‘a is eaten hot, but in other Arab countries , it is often eaten cold, but occasionally hot as well.