Turkish Dishes: Musakka

Musakka means eggplant and meat dish. It takes a lot of time to prepare but it's worth it as it is one of Turknoys' favorite.

What you will need:

For sauce
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1 table spoon tomato paste
1/2 table spoon red pepper paste
750ml hot water

For minced meat preparation
500-700gr minced meat
1 dessert spoon black pepper powder
1/2 dessert spoon garlic powder
1 egg
1 tea spoon salt
1 tea spoon cumin

And also

3 mideum size eggplant
3 green pepper (sweet or hot)
1 big tomato


How to prepare and cook:

• Eggplants' shells removed with a knife, then sliced 1 inc rounds and place in a warm water and doss a pinch of salt for about 30 minutes.

• Place those wet eggplants in a dish and dry them with paper towels and let them drain their water.

• Place some oil in hot pan and after put in the dried round eggplants, fry both sides of the eggplants.

• The sauce preparation: Place 1/2 cup oil in a hot pan then put the chopped onions, garlic then place marinated with egg, black pepper, cumin, salt. Make sure the meat is half cooked before adding the tomato and pepper. Mix for about 10 minutes. Pour hot water in the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes.

• After the preparation of sauce, place eggplants in a heat resistant casserole or 2 inch deep tray, and then pour the meat sauce top of the eggplants equally. Place sliced fresh tomato rounds , half cut green pepper on the pan and put to the oven which should be preheated for 180 degree for about 20 minutes.

• Serve hot!

Afiyet Olsun!

Important Wife's Note: Please do not comment that this dish is originally Greek - you will never hear the end of it from the cook!