This flavoursome Palestinian staple features aubergines, organic tomatoes and olive oil representing the best that Palestine has to offer. A successful moussaka is savoured to the very last mouthful, especially if you are lucky enough to soak up the last trace of sauce with fresh kmaj or tabun bread. (From Classic Palestinian Cuisine by Christiane Dabdoub Nasser)
Serves: 4–6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Ingredients (Vegan):
- 800g large
- aubergines (eggplants)
- 1 tsp salt, plus extra for salting the aubergines
- 200ml Zaytoun olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 4 tomatoes
- 1 tbsp finely chopped
- green chilli
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 120ml tomato juice
- Can of chickpeas, drained (optional)
Method:
Peel the aubergines and cut them across into slices about 5mm (¼ inch) thick. Sprinkle generously with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. This step is important to reduce the amount of oil absorbed by the aubergines.
Pour most of the oil into a frying pan, setting aside about 3 tablespoons. Once the 30 minutes are up, pat the aubergine slices dry, then fry over a medium heat, a few slices at a time, until they are golden. When they are cooked, remove from the pan and place immediately onto paper towels to drain. It is a good idea to change the paper towels, allowing further absorption of the oil.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5.
Chop the onion into thin slices and set aside. Blanch the tomatoes by submerging in boiling water for a few minutes to loosen the skins and allow for easy peeling. Once they are blanched, remove the skins and cut into coarse chunks.
Heat the reserved olive oil in a pan and add the onion and chilli. Sauté, stirring, until the onion is tender and translucent, then add the tomatoes, stirring them into the onions and chilli. Season with the salt and pepper and add the allspice. Add the tomato juice and cook for about 20 minutes until the sauce is ready.
Put the aubergines in a baking dish and add the tomato sauce, (and add the chickpeas at this point if you want to make it a main dish). Cover with kitchen foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, ensuring they do not dry out. Serve at room temperature.