Diet-Friendly Lebanese-style Moussaka

posted on: Oct 21, 2016

By Clean Eating
Lebanese-American chef, Philippe Massoud, cleaned up this traditionally meatless Lebanese-style moussaka by roasting the eggplant rather than frying it, drastically reducing the oil content. The result is a lighter dish that still has big flavor. Serve over brown rice and sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Serves: 6
Hands-on Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lb eggplant, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
• 5 tbsp thinly sliced garlic
• 3/4 lb Roma tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped, or 1 14.5-oz BPA-free can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2/3 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450˚F. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels and spread eggplant on sheet; set aside for about 15 minutes.
2. Remove paper towels from baking sheet and add 2 tbsp oil to eggplant; toss gently to coat. Transfer to oven and bake until edges are dark brown and crisp, about 16 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350˚F.
3. In a large pot, heat remaining 2 tbsp oil on medium. Add onion and sauté, stirring often, until softened but not browned. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, salt, allspice, cinnamon and ¹/₃ cup water; bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. 
4. Remove pot from heat and gently stir in eggplant. Transfer mixture to a large roasting pan and cover with a lid or foil. Bake for 15 minutes; remove lid and bake for 30 minutes more.