You say Moussaka, I say Musakka

I thought I knew what Moussaka was, but there is apparently no cross-cultural consensus on the contents of this dish. An email from Megan luckily contained citations, though I likely wouldn't have been too far off the trail left to my own devices. Apparently what we are gunning for here is a meatless, Turkish version of the dish, and with any luck one may have most of the ingredients lying around the kitchen.

The key, as in other eggplant dishes, is to get the dastardly things to release their moisture without absorbing gobs of fat. For this we saute them briefly and then move them to the oven to concentrate their flavors while the rest of the dish is finished. Cooking the onions over low heat for a long time most definitely changes the character of the dish, and adding honey seems to complement these flavors.

While sprinkling Feta cheese on our Turkish Musakka seems a faux pas, I must admit I didn't have anything aside from the usual Gouda floating around at the time. Reports, however, indicate that Feta works quite well in this context. Thanks to Meg for working out the kinks before sending this along to me.

Meatless Mediterranean Mussaka

For the Mussaka

• 1 Large Eggplant, Diced Coarsely (1"x1" pieces)
• 1 Onion, Chopped
• 1 Can Chickpeas, Drained and Rinsed
• 1 1/2 Lbs. Fresh Tomatoes (28 Oz. Can) Chopped
• 1 Cup Water
• Some Olive Oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tbs. Honey
• 1 Tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tsp. Allspice
• Salt and Pepper
• Feta Cheese to Top

1. Saute eggplant in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes or so, then transfer to an oven at 400F.
2. Add a few more glugs of oil and saute the onions on low heat until they become very soft. Add the chickpeas and cook for another few minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and eggplant from the oven, along with the remaining ingredients aside from Feta. Add water and cook for another half hour or so while covered. Remove the lid and continue to cook out liquid until the Musakka has reached a desired texture.
4. Adjust seasoning and add Feta if desired.

NB: A thicker texture is my preference. Serve over rice if desired.

As a side note: If my dishes always look strangely pale, it's because I have an unrelenting supply of orange tomatoes from the garden — they produce a rather eerie tomato sauce.