Anne Morgan Without any meat at all, Delia Smith’s vegetarian moussaka is a proper Greek-style bake for 4 to 6 people. You cook Puy and green lentils with aubergine, red pepper, tomatoes and red wine, then bake them under a creamy ricotta topping. It takes a little over 2 hours, including an hour in the oven and 15 minutes’ rest.
This recipe first came out in her Winter Collection in 1995, in her chapter for winter vegetarians, and again in her Vegetarian Collection in 2002. She says even meat-eaters agree it tastes every bit as good as the meat version.
Two kinds of lentil do the work of the minced lamb. The Puy lentils simmer on their own for 15 minutes, then the green ones join them for 15 minutes more.
For the meat version, see her lamb moussaka with roasted aubergines. She serves this one with a big bowl of crunchy salad and some warm pitta bread.
Delia Smith’s Vegetarian Moussaka with Ricotta Topping
Course: DinnerCuisine: GreekDifficulty: Easy4-6
servings20
minutes2
hours430
kcalTwo kinds of lentil, diced aubergine and red pepper in a tomato and red wine sauce with a little cinnamon. It all bakes under a ricotta white sauce with Parmesan.
Ingredients
- For the moussaka:
2 aubergines, 225g (8oz) each
275ml (10fl oz) vegetable stock
50g (2oz) Puy lentils
50g (2oz) green lentils
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 large red pepper, deseeded and cut into 5mm (¼in) dice
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 x 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes, drained
200ml (7fl oz) red wine
2 tablespoons tomato purée or sun-dried tomato paste
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly milled black pepper
- For the topping:
275ml (10fl oz) whole milk
25g (1oz) plain flour
25g (1oz) butter
¼ whole nutmeg, grated
250g (9oz) ricotta
1 large egg, beaten
25g (1oz) Parmesan, grated
salt and freshly milled black pepper
Directions
- Oven: Heat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas mark 4.
- Aubergines: Cut the aubergines into 1cm (½in) dice, leaving the skins on. Layer them in a colander with a little salt between the layers, then press them under a small plate with a heavy weight on top.
- Lentils: Put the stock and the Puy lentils in a pan, with no salt. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then add the green lentils. Cover again and cook for 15 minutes more, until most of the liquid has gone.
- Onions: Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, solid frying pan. Fry the onions for about 5 minutes, until soft and brown at the edges, then add the pepper for about 4 minutes more.
- Garlic: Stir in the garlic for 1 minute, then tip everything onto a plate.
- Brown: Squeeze the aubergines dry in a clean tea towel. Heat the rest of the oil in the pan over a high heat and toss the aubergines until they start to brown.
- Sauce: Add the drained tomatoes and the onion and pepper. Mix the wine, tomato purée and cinnamon in a bowl and pour it over. Stir in the lentils and parsley, season well and leave it to simmer gently.
- Topping: Put the milk, flour, butter and nutmeg in a pan and whisk with a balloon whisk until it simmers and turns smooth and glossy. Season it and let it cool a little off the heat, then whisk in the ricotta and then the egg.
- Bake: Spoon the vegetables into a 23cm (9in) square dish, 6cm (2½in) deep. Spread the topping right to the edges, sprinkle with the Parmesan and bake on the middle shelf for 1 hour.
- Rest: Leave it to rest for 15 minutes before you serve it.
Notes
- Parmesan is made with animal rennet. For a strictly vegetarian moussaka, my own tip is to use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese instead.
- In her Vegetarian Collection, Delia makes the stock with Marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon powder.
FAQs
What is her lentil and vegetable moussaka?
It is an older, smaller version in her Complete Cookery Course, for 2. She says the lentils are like the minced meat they replace, because they are slightly chewy too.
Simmer 50g of green-brown lentils in 110ml of water for 30 minutes, with no salt. Cook a salted, cubed aubergine, a large onion and 110g of red pepper in 4 tablespoons of oil. Then add a garlic clove, 4 tablespoons of red wine or dry cider, tomato purée, cinnamon and parsley.
The topping is not a white sauce at all. Beat 2 eggs with 4 tablespoons of natural yoghurt, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and some nutmeg. Pour it over and bake for 30 minutes at 180°C, until puffy.
Can I make vegetarian moussaka for one?
Yes, her One is Fun book has a moussaka for one, baked in a 13cm (5in) ramekin for 30 minutes. It uses only 25g of lentils, with an egg and yoghurt topping.
Because 25g of lentils is so little, she suggests cooking 50g and keeping half for the next day. She uses the rest in a spiced vegetable dish or a lentil salad.
Can I use just one kind of lentil?
Yes. In How to Cook Book Three, Delia says green-brown lentils lack the depth of flavour of Puy lentils. But she says you can use them in exactly the same way.
With only Puy lentils, my own swap is to give all 100g the full 30 minutes. With only green lentils, I’d add them all after the first 15 minutes.
Why do you salt the aubergines?
Delia says the salt draws out any extra juice from the aubergines. Afterwards, squeeze them as dry as you can before they go into the pan.
In this recipe the aubergines salt while the lentils and onions cook, so the salting adds no extra time.
