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Sekai Gohan

Bulgarian Moussaka: Potato and Minced Meat Bake With Yogurt Topping

Servings 6 servings

A finished pan of Bulgarian moussaka with one square cut to show the diced potatoes and minced meat under the set topping
Steps with photos

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount Role
Minced meat (kayma, кайма) 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) The savory base of the filling
Potatoes 3⅓ lb (1.5 kg) Peeled and diced. The bulk of the dish
Onion 3½ oz (100 g) Finely chopped. Sweetness for the meat
Carrot 1¾ oz (50 g) Finely chopped
Red sweet pepper 2½ oz (70 g) Finely chopped. Sweetness and color
Canned diced tomatoes 3 tbsp Acidity and depth, added after the first bake
Parsley 4–5 sprigs Chopped, added with the tomatoes
Cooking oil 2⅔ tbsp (40 ml) For frying the meat and vegetables
Paprika (sweet) 2 tbsp Colors and flavors the whole filling
Black pepper to taste Seasons the meat
Salt to taste, plus a pinch for the topping Seasons the meat and the topping
Hot water enough to just cover the potatoes Cooks the potatoes in the first bake
Plain yogurt (topping) 14 oz (400 g) The body and sourness of the topping
Eggs 2 Set the topping in the oven
All-purpose flour 2 tbsp Gives the topping body
Plain yogurt (to serve) 1–2 spoonfuls Cool and sour beside each square

Steps

  1. 1Prepare the potatoes and vegetables

    Peel the potatoes and cut them into dice. Finely chop the onion, carrot and red pepper so they fold into the meat as small flecks. Chop the parsley now as well and set it aside for later. The vegetables are ready when the pieces are fine and roughly even, with no long strips of pepper left on the board.

  2. 2Fry the meat with the vegetables

    Heat the oil in a wide frying pan, then add the mince and the chopped vegetables. Fry them together and keep breaking the meat apart with a spatula as it cooks. Stir in the paprika, then season with black pepper and salt to taste. It is ready when no clumps of meat are left, the vegetables have softened and the oil has turned red.

    Season the meat for the whole pan

    The fried meat is the only real seasoning the potatoes get, apart from the pinch of salt in the topping. Taste it before it leaves the pan. It should taste a little stronger than you would want it on its own.

  3. 3Mix with the potatoes and pour in hot water

    Heat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Spread the diced potatoes in the baking pan, add the fried meat and vegetables with all their red oil, and mix well so the meat is spread through the potatoes. Pour in hot water slowly and stop as soon as it covers the potatoes. You are done when the tops of the cubes sit just under the surface.

    Hot water and a full pan

    Pour the hot water away from your hands and carry the filled pan to the oven with oven mitts, holding it level. Keep a clear space ready on the counter for when it comes back out.

    Water decides the topping

    Just covered is the right level. Too little and the potatoes stay firm. Too much and the pan is still wet when the topping goes on, so it sinks into the filling instead of sitting on top.

  4. 4Bake, then add the tomatoes and parsley

    Bake for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Test a cube from the middle of the pan, where they cook last. Take the pan out, spoon the diced tomatoes over the filling, scatter in the chopped parsley and return it to the oven for 10 minutes more. It is ready for the topping when a skewer slides into the potatoes with no resistance and the tomato has cooked into the filling.

    Check the potatoes before the tomatoes go in

    The first bake is the one that softens the potatoes. If a cube still resists the skewer, leave the pan in and test again before you add the tomatoes and parsley.

  5. 5Whisk the yogurt topping

    Put the yogurt, eggs, flour and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk until the flour disappears and the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the side of the bowl once and whisk again. It is ready when the mixture is pale and pourable, with no streaks of yogurt and no dry specks of flour.

  6. 6Pour the topping over the filling

    Take the pan out after the tomatoes' extra bake and look at the liquid. If water is still sloshing around the potatoes, carefully tip off the excess. Pour the topping slowly over the whole surface, moving the bowl from end to end, then nudge it into the corners with the back of a spoon. The step is finished when the filling is covered edge to edge with an even, pale layer.

  7. 7Bake until the topping sets

    Return the pan to the oven on a middle-to-upper rack and bake for 10–15 minutes. Lift it out with oven mitts and push a thermometer into the center. Check the reading against the minimum your local food-safety rules set for minced meat and egg dishes, and bake longer if it falls short. The topping is done when it stays still as you nudge the pan and shows only a light color in patches.