Meatless Moussaka with Pulses

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 kg potatoes
• 2 large eggplants
• 200 g mountain lentils, beluga lentils, red lentils, quinoa or chickpeas
• 2 cans of chopped tomatoes, 450 g each
• 2 onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 piece(s) celeriac, cleaned and grated
• 1 large carrot(s), cleaned and grated
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (tomato concentrate)
• 50 g miso paste
• 1 pinch(s) cinnamon powder
• 1 tbsp oregano
• salt and pepper
• chili powder
• Paprika powder, hot
• 8 tbsp sunflower oil for frying
• 250 g milk 3.5%
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp instant flour
• 1 pinch(s) nutmeg, freshly grated
• salt and pepper
• 100 g cheese, grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours

simple and ovo-lactic

Boil the pulses, if desired, in plenty of water without salt(!) until soft, drain, and chill. If using chickpeas, soak them and cook them in a pressure cooker without salt for 25 minutes on level 2 until soft. Wash the potatoes, but do not peel them. Then quarter or eighth and place them on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, cut-side up. Brush with sunflower oil and salt. Roast the wedges in the oven at 275°C with the grill and fan function on the top rack for 10 minutes until nicely browned. Cut the cleaned eggplants into strips about 1 cm thick and proceed in the same way. Let the eggplants darken a little! Note: When using eggplants from Central Europe, I skip the pre-soaking in salt water, as these eggplants no longer contain any bitter substances. Meanwhile, fry the finely chopped onions, crushed garlic, grated carrot, and grated celery in a large pan with a little sunflower oil until toasted. Now add the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, miso paste, and cooked pulses. Tip: The miso paste can easily be replaced with granulated stock or nutritional yeast. Add a little water to help it blend better. Season the mixture to taste with cinnamon, oregano, paprika, chili, and salt. Add a few pinches of cinnamon and chili, and generously mix in the oregano, salt, and paprika. Simmer everything until almost dry, stirring constantly, and set aside. A cold milk and egg sauce takes over the thickening function of a classic béchamel sauce. This won’t save you any calories, but it’s easier to make. Whisk the milk, eggs, and instant flour until well combined and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Place the potatoes in a large baking dish. Spread about 1/3 of the milk and egg sauce over them. Then layer the tomato and pulse mixture. Leave a few holes in this layer so that any excess milk and egg sauce can drain to the bottom. Arrange the baked eggplant slices on top. Pour the remaining milk and egg sauce over the eggplant. Everything should be well coated with the sauce. Finally, sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Bake the moussaka for 45 minutes at 180°C (top/bottom heat) on the middle rack. If desired, use fan-assisted oven for the last few minutes to brown the cheese crust. Based on 4 servings, one serving has 675 kcal.