At a glance

Roast the eggplant until it bends without breaking and cook the lentil filling until a spoon leaves a clear trail. Layer the two in a deep dish, spread on the yogurt custard, then bake and rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

Roasted Eggplant and Lentil Moussaka

Prep 25 min · Cook 1 hr 5 min · Total 1 hr 45 min · Yield 6 servings

Ingredients & directions

Eggplant moussaka with lentils, mushrooms and yogurt custard

Ingredients

Eggplant and filling

Yogurt top and parsley finish

Eggplant, brown lentils, mushrooms, tomatoes, yogurt, eggs, grated cheese, parsley and lemon

Use two rimmed sheet pans, parchment, a large skillet, a whisk, a mixing bowl, an instant-read thermometer and a deep 9-inch square baking dish (at least 2½ quarts). Heat the oven to 425°F (218°C).

Directions

  1. Golden roasted eggplant rounds with purple skin on a rimmed sheet pan

    Roast the eggplant

    Brush both sides of the rounds with 2 tablespoons plain oil in total and season with ½ teaspoon salt. Arrange in a single layer across two parchment-lined pans. Roast for 22 to 28 minutes, flipping the rounds and swapping the pans halfway through. The slices should be browned in spots and tender enough to bend.

  2. A spoon drawn through a thick skillet filling of brown lentils, mushrooms and tomatoes

    Reduce the lentil and mushroom filling

    While the eggplant roasts, heat the remaining tablespoon plain oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and mushrooms with the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt for 8 to 10 minutes, until the moisture cooks off and the mushrooms begin to brown. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, oregano and cinnamon for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and lentils and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until a spoon leaves a clear trail.

  3. A square baking dish with pale yogurt custard spread over layered eggplant and lentils

    Layer and bake the yogurt top

    Reduce the oven to 375°F (190°C). Cover the bottom of the dish with half the eggplant, spread the lentil filling over it and cover with the remaining eggplant. Whisk the yogurt, eggs, flour and cheese until smooth; spread across the top. Bake for 30 to 38 minutes, until the top is set with golden spots, the edges bubble and the center reaches 165°F (74°C).

  4. A square of moussaka with distinct eggplant and lentil layers and a spoon of parsley-lemon oil

    Rest, slice and dress each plate

    Rest for 15 minutes before cutting into six portions. Stir together the parsley and lemon juice and divide among six cups. Add 1 teaspoon plain finishing oil per plain cup. For an infused plate, measure its labeled oil and add enough plain oil to reach 1 teaspoon total. Spoon each cup over its own portion and identify any infused plate before serving.

Storage Refrigerate plain portions in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Keep at 40°F (4°C) or colder and use within 4 days. Reheat plain portions to 165°F (74°C), then add the fresh parsley finish.

Serving with THC Use only a labeled oral product for consenting adults of legal age where permitted. Health Canada suggests choosing 2.5 mg THC or less if you are new to edibles. Effects can take up to 4 hours to fully develop. Avoid taking more during that time. Do not drive or operate machinery after using cannabis. Label infused food, keep it apart from plain food, and lock it away from children and pets.

Kitchen notes

Make the layers hold together

If the filling looks wet

Keep it uncovered on the stove. If a spoon trail fills in right away, the sauce is still too loose to cut neatly.

If the eggplant fights the knife

Roast a few minutes longer before assembling. The rounds should bend when lifted with a spatula.

Use thick yogurt

Full-fat strained Greek yogurt makes a spreadable top. Stir any surface liquid back in only if the yogurt stays thick. Let the cooked dish rest before slicing.

Make it without cannabis

Use plain olive oil in all six cups. Serve a plain plate if you cannot measure the infused oil in the label’s unit or if it would exceed 1 teaspoon.

Use the product label

Estimate THC in a portion

Enter only the amount of labeled oil measured for one slice’s parsley-lemon finish. The assembled casserole stays plain. Use the same unit for the label amount and the amount used.

Enter the label values and the amount you used.

The estimate is for what you add to one serving. Product variation and any finish left on the spoon can change the amount consumed.

THC in one portion = label THC (mg) × amount used ÷ label amount.

Example: A label lists 5 mg THC per 5 mL. Measuring 1 mL into one plate’s finish adds an estimated 1 mg THC. If six plates each get that same amount, the six finishes contain an estimated 6 mg THC added in total. Leave the other plates plain if only one serving is infused.

Serve it plain if you cannot verify the label or measure the amount in the label’s units.

Recipe and safety references