Moussaka-UPDATED

 Moussaka...soon guys...will update!

Ok so the pic above shows Egg plants/Aubergines sliced thinly and laid out on a baking tray with olive oil lightly dabbbed over it with a little bit of salt sprinkled. Flip both sides to ensure an even browning/baking.

I would say this is a Greek dish borrowed from the Arabs! Either ways it is a dish that sounds exotic in my ears...a bit of prep required but the end result is amazing! It is a three layered dish which contains veggies+ meat+ cream.

The first layer is the veggies-so we've baked the slices of egg plants, next is the potato slices which is actually the bottom most layer. Slice the potatoes and place them in salt water so that they do not brown easily.

Cook the meat preferably minced beef. I have cooked it in olive oil with finely diced onions and garlic along with some chopped cilantro, half cup tomato paste,salt and pepper, some garam masala to add to the Indian touch...you can skip that masala part by simply adding bay leaf, cinnamon stick and nutmeg. Ensure that the meat is cook well until it becomes nice and dry.

Grate some mozarella cheese and set aside and keep some bread crumbs also ready to garnish over the dish prior to baking.

Prepare the bechamel sauce on a low heat with half a cup of butter, two-thirds of flour and three cups of milk. Let the sauce thicken without getting two lumpy. At this point switch on the oven to bake the dish. You can strain the sauce if you feel there are any lumps. The next part is layering the three in an oven proof dish.

First add the potato as seen in one of the pictures above, then layer the lightly baked and sliced aubergines in  the same direction as the potatoes. Pour in the bechamel sauce along with the grated cheese.Add the cooked meat. At any point if you feel there is not much salt, do add keeping in mind that the cheese has salt and your meat dish has salt.
Layer the next set of aubergines in the opposite direction so that it would make the dish look attractive once it is baked and you slice through it.

Keep alternating in two layers between the egg plants and meat and finally pour over the whole dish your remaining white sauce ensuring that you have sprinkled enough shredded cheese between layers. Finally add the bread crumbs that you set aside and pour over the whole dish two or more beaten eggs such that it seeps through the entire dish. Sprinkle pepper over it as well.

Bake and enjoy the dish! Ideal when you are too lazy to prepare too many things, you can prepare this in one baking pan itself.

Slice through and enjoy it on a nice rainy or wintery day.