Authentic Greek Moussaka (Easy Moussaka Recipe in 18 Steps)

1) 4 kg/140 oz of eggplant
2) coarse salt + ground black pepper
3) 1.5 kg/50 oz of mincemeat
4) 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
5) 250 g/9 oz of chopped onion
6) 1 kg/35 oz of tomato
7) 1 kg/35 oz of sour cream (12% fat) + some more for serving (recommended)
8) 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
9) fresh or dried rosemary leaves

1) cut eggplants into thick slices
2) rub eggplant slices with coarse salt, then wait about 1 hour to eliminate the bitter juice from inside
3) remove the salty water from the eggplant slices
4) roast the eggplant until golden brown on the coal grill or in the oven
5) put mincemeat into a frying-pan, then place it on the stovetop over high temperature and fry it with a bit of vegetable oil, season it with salt and ground black pepper to taste
6) when the ground meat is bleached, add the chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes more to soften it
7) remove the skin from the eggplant – this is not mandatory but recommended because the fried eggplant skin, especially on coal or wood, is very bitter
8) cut tomatoes into very thin slices
9) place about half of the roasted eggplant into a large tray into a layer
10) stretch the fried meat over the eggplant into a layer
11) put the rest of the eggplant over the meat also into a layer
12) add tomato slices into a layer over eggplant
13) place sour cream into a bowl, add flour and some salt and ground pepper to taste, then combine together all ingredients
14) sprinkle over some rosemary to taste (optional but recommended for an authentic Greek taste)
15) pour the sour cream into the tray all over
16) place the tray into the oven at 180 C/360 F and wait until the top of the eggplant casserole is golden brown
17) take out the tray from the oven and wait about 30 minutes before serving (recommended to avoid sliding apart moussaka squares)
18) serve the Greek moussaka while it’s still warm

No, eggplant is a typical ingredient of the authentic Greek moussaka.