Chickpea Moussaka
"Moussaka traditionally is a common eggplant and potato-based dish, originating from the Middle Eastern. There’s lots of regional variations, and they all taste delicious. There's just one problem - they can take a long time to cook. This variation on the classic moussaka is ready in 30 minutes and uses chickpeas instead of eggplant. Goat's cheese is used in this recipe, but any soft cheese will do, like feta. It's perfect as a midweek dinner when you too tired to cook anything too complex."
NotesThere a lots of ways you can change up this recipe if you don’t have particular ingredients stocked.
I’ve love using chickpeas but traditional moussakas use eggplant. They both taste great !
Feta is used in this particular recipe, but any soft cheese will do. I often use goats cheese as a replacement, which works really well in this. If you don’t want to spend money on cheeses that you might waste, then it works without. Same goes for the mint.
You can also try mixing up the spices you use as well. Cinnamon has been used here, but sumac and cumin are very nice too.
Serves2 People
Preparation Time5 min
Cooking Time25 min
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 250 gram lean beef mince
- 200 gram canned tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 200 gram can chickpeas
- 100 gram goat's cheese, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
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Heat the oil in a large, shallow pan. Toss in the onion and garlic and fry for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add the mince and stir fry for a further 3-4 minutes until browned.
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Tip the tomatoes into the pan and stir in the tomato purée and cinnamon, then season generously with salt and pepper. Leave the mince to simmer for 20 minutes, adding the chickpeas half way through.
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Add the goat's cheese and mint over the mince. Serve with toasted bread.