Aubergine Moussaka

Wash the aubergine and peel leaving stripes of skin intact.

Slice the peeled aubergines in 1 cm rounds and place in a bowl of salty water for 30 minutes. This step removes any bitterness and also helps the aubergine to cook through more quickly.

After 30 minutes, wash and drain the aubergine and pat dry with clean tea towels or paper towels.

Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and fry the slices of aubergine until golden brown and soft all the way through. Alternatively, you can brush the slices with olive oil and bake them in the oven until browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, finely chop the onions and saute in a pan along with the mince (only add oil if absolutely necessary) until the mince is browned and the onions softened. Add the salt and pepper.

Take the seeds out of the capsicum and slice, add this to the onions and mince and cook for a few more minutes.

Layer half of the aubergine slices in a pot, put the cooked mince and onion mixture on top, and layer the final aubergine slices on top of that.

Grate the tomatoes and pour the pulp on top, season with a little salt and pepper and pour in 1 cup of hot stock.

Put the lid on the pot and simmer gently for 10 - 15 minutes.

Add a little hot water if the dish gets too dry. The meal should be a little juicy so that you can dip your bread in.

Serve hot with crusty bread or pilav.

Note: This is the Turkish version of Musaka and does not have a bechamel sauce.