Greek Mussakha

Ingredients

1.          Egg Plant No 2 (big size)(750 gm)

2.          Potato No 3 (500 Gm)sliced thinly

3.          Mince Meat   300 gm

4.          Onion Gm 300 chopped

5.          Tomatoes Gm 300

6.          Garlic 1 Pod

7.          Cumin Seeds 1 Tsp

8.          Whole Black Pepper 1 Tsp

9.          Oregano ½ Tsp

10.      Parsley  Leaves few stalks

11.      Paprika powder 1Tbs

12.      Tomato Paste 100gm

13.      Wheat Flour 3Tbs

14.      Fresh Milk 3 cups

15.      Eggs 2

16.      Margarine (Sunflower) 2 Tbs.

Preparation:

In a Skillet put two table spoon of Olive oil and when the skillet gets hot spread the mince meat in the pan and stir very often to avoid the lumps. When meat is dry and fried well remove it from the pan. In the same skillet put little oil, when it gets hot put the chopped onion and sauté well then add crushed garlic and fried mince meat into it. Increase the flame of the burner and cook for five minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook well. At last add the crushed cumin seeds, oregano, whole black pepper powder, Paprika, salt etc. If require put two cups of hot water into the mixture and cook well. When the sauce thickened and well cooked remove from the fire and keep separately.

In a saucepan add margarine and when the margarine gets bubbling add the flour and sauté well and when it gets cooked add the milk slowly part by part to avoid the lumps. Stir it slowly and steadily with a wire whisk to cook well and at last mix the eggs in a cup with 1 Tbs of milk and pour into the white sauce. Stir the mixture thoroughly and cook for a minute and remove from fire.

Cut the Eggplant in thick round slice and arrange it in a shallow dish by layers and each layer should be sprinkled with salt and pepper. After sometime pat dry the sliced eggplant and dip in flour and grill it on the griddle. Keep it separately after grilling.

Slice the potatoes and sprinkle the salt and pepper mixture on it. Remove the excess moisture from the potatoes. Then arrange it in an oven proof dish by spreading the butter on it. Cook the potatoes in a moderate preheated oven. When gets the color lightly brown, remove the tray from oven.

Now, in an oven proof glass dish arrange the potatoes and eggplant in a layer spread the half of the meat mixture evenly on the next layer. Add the half quantity of Béchamel sauce evenly on the layer. Repeat the same process by adding one layer of potatoes, eggplant, then the mince meat mixture, and at last the Béchamel sauce and spread evenly on the top. Cook the Mussakha in a preheated oven (180oc) and when it cooked well the top of the layer will get golden brown color and the dish is done to ready to eat.

Lord, we thank you for all your blessings on us. Lord we thank you for this new recipe, which is introducing to our brothers and sisters and our children. Lord, Let all of us always thankful to you and value many blessings which you have given to us. 

Dear brothers and Sisters,

While I was writing this, I felt it is not so easy to become a good model to others. Jesus is our model in everything we have to do. The saints are in His own image and in likeness. We all are called to be the citizens of His Kingdom. ^“So you are no longer aliens or foreign visitors; you are fellow-citizens with the holy people of God and part of God’s household. ²⁰ You are built upon the foundations of the apostles and prophets, and Christ Jesus himself is the cornerstone. ²¹ Every structure knit together in him grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²² and you too, in him, are being built up into a dwelling-place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19–22 (NJB) What a great blessing we have by the mercy of Heavenly Father because through Jesus, He has given us the merit for the eternity. 

Whatever we do, do it in the name of the Lord. In my job, in cooking, writing or anything I do, first I invoke my Lord to let him get involved. This way He helps me to do the things more perfectly, pleasantly and without any kind of obstacles. Those who serve our Lord in gladness will find the friendship in him. I have seen many noble women gladly serve their husbands and in laws and their relatives whole heartedly. We have many saints as an example, St Rita served her husband and her in laws very gladly till her last breath of her life.