Just like lasagna or shepherd's pie, this recipe is a little more work and best made for special occasions or when you have more time to prepare a bigger meal. To speed up the process, use precooked lentils, either canned or home-cooked a day or two in advance. One cup of dry lentils will yield 3 cups cooked. In my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker, I cook 1 cup of lentils with 2 1/2 cups water on manual for 12 minutes with a 10 minute natural pressure release. If you are cooking them on the stove, bring 1 cup of lentils and 3 cups of water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentil are soft. Drain any excess liquid. If cooking your own lentils from dry, please, remember to sort and wash them before cooking. I can't stress this enough if you have Celiac Disease. This one step made all the difference in regaining my health.
To save a little more time, you could prepare, assemble, and refrigerate the eggplant and lentil layers the day before. Allow them to come to room temperature while you make the Skordalia and then bake.
Moussaka 2 eggplants 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 6 - 8 mushrooms, diced 1/2 Tablespoon tamari 3 cups cooked lentils (home- cooked or canned) 1 14-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1 Tablespoon oregano (preferably Greek oregano) 1 recipe Skordalia nutmeg paprika |
To your health and happiness,
Beans and Rice