Eggplant, Lamb and Yogurt Casserole

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Published April 23, 2019

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times. Food Styling by Iah Pinkney
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
2 hours
Rating
4(1,441)
Comments
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This hearty dish is inspired by moussaka, but simpler to prepare. Everything is baked in one roasting pan, with the different elements added in stages. Made with yogurt, cheese and egg, the topping cuts wonderfully through the richness of the eggplant and lamb, even though it lacks the body of béchamel. If you can get them, sweet and properly ripened tomatoes would be better than the canned ones. This is best served with a piece of pita or a slice of white bread to scoop it all up.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

FOR THE EGGPLANT AND LAMB MIXTURE

  • 2 or 3 eggplants (aubergines) (about 1 ½ pounds/680 grams), cut into 1-inch/3-centimeter cubes

  • 1 pound/450 grams ground lamb (lamb mince)

  • 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

  • ½ cup/15 grams fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped

  • ⅓ cup/80 milliliters olive oil

  • ¼ cup/65 grams tomato paste

  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

  • 2 teaspoons ground allspice

  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1 (14-ounce/400-gram) can whole, peeled plum tomatoes with their juices

  • 3 cups/700 milliliters chicken stock

  • ⅓ cup/20 grams roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 2 cups/450 grams plain Greek yogurt

  • 3 large egg yolks

  • 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 lightly packed cups/70 grams finely grated Parmesan

  • 1 cup/100 grams roughly crumbled feta

  • Scant ⅓ cup/40 grams pine nuts

  • 2 packed tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

  • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

36 grams carbs; 183 milligrams cholesterol; 708 calories; 21 grams monosaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 50 grams fat; 11 grams fiber; 1547 milligrams sodium; 34 grams protein; 17 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/240 degrees Celsius.

  2. Step 2

    Add the eggplant, lamb, onion, oregano, oil, tomato paste, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, red-pepper flakes, 1 ¾ teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper to a 10-by-13-inch/26-by-34-centimeter (or similar) roasting pan (tin) and mix well to combine. Bake until the mixture is well browned, stirring twice throughout and breaking apart the meat with a spoon, 30 to 35 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Remove from the oven and continue to break apart the meat very well (don’t worry if you break apart some of the eggplant, too). Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, lightly crushing the tomatoes by hand. Stir in the chicken stock and parsley then return to the oven and bake for another 35 minutes, stirring twice throughout, until the sauce is thick and rich and the eggplant is very soft. Remove from the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 475 degrees Fahrenheit/250 degrees Celsius.

  4. Step 4

    While the casserole is in the oven, prepare the topping: Whisk together the yogurt, yolks, flour, garlic and half the Parmesan with ¼ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper. Once ready, spoon the yogurt mixture over the lamb and eggplant, gently spreading to cover. Top evenly with the remaining Parmesan, feta, pine nuts, parsley and red-pepper flakes.

  5. Step 5

    Bake until golden and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,441 user ratings
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Comments

Mari

I think a more time -and energy-efficient version fo this recipe would be to: (1) Slice the eggplant (0.5 cm) Brush the eggplant slices with oil and bake for 20-30 minutes until soft. (2) Fry off the ground lamb in a skillet, remove and drain (makes the dish less fatty) (3) In the same skillet, brown the onions and soften the garlic, add the tomatoes, herbs, spices and return the lamb to the pot - add stock to make a thick mix. (4) Layer the eggplants and meat mix in the casserole. (5) Top, bake

RFAM

the recipe was developed deliberately and the lack of such directions is not a mere oversight. i'd urge cooks at home not to take it on faith that eggplant must always be peeled and pre-salted, and instead follow the instructions that the recipe gives, and decide for themselves whether it works.

ianstuart

Julia Child may have recommended it but it really isn't necessary. Try salting and draining and see how much moisture is actually given off, virtually none. As for peeling the eggplant, half the taste is in the peel. Try eating pieces of apple with and without the peel and see the difference

LanaO

I have a silly question, is 680 grams the Total weight of the eggplants? Or is 680 grams the weight of one eggplant? Could you please clarify? Thank you! (English isn't my native language :-))

Joe

This recipe is amazing. Rich, deeply flavoured and easy to prepare. I will never make moussaka again after this winner!

Cameron

This was fantastic. Followed recipe. It took more like 1 hour 15 m to achieve thick sauce in step 3, but this might have to do with my oven and my phobia of undercooked eggplant. I wasn't in a hurry and enjoyed additional time with the aroma!

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