You would have no doubt heard of the dish Moussaka. It’s a very popular dish from the Balkans and the Middle East, usually made with potatoes or aubergines and minced meat. In the UK the most popular variety is the Greek one, which is made with aubergines and lamb mince. However, the Bulgarian version uses potatoes and a mix of pork and beef mince. This is one of the most popular dishes in Bulgaria and a firm favourite for any Bulgarian.

Bulgarian Moussaka

Serves 6 | Prep 10 minutes | Cooks 1 hr | Easy

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You’ll need
  • 2-3 tbsp sunflower oil;
  • 300g pork mince;
  • 200g beef mince;
  • 2 onions, finely chopped;
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped;
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree;
  • 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped;
  • 1 tsp dried savory (it’s not a very popular herb in the UK, but you can get some from amazon here);
  • 1 kg potatoes, pealed and cubed;
  • 250 ml vegetable stock.
For the topping:
  • 2 eggs, beaten;
  • 1 tbsp plain flour;
  • 400g yogurt;

Pre-heat the oven to 240C/ 220C fan/gas mark 7. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and mince until the onion has softened and the mince has browned. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree, savory and the parsley. Season to taste.

Cook for a few minutes before adding the potatoes and add the stock. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly until the potatoes soften a little bit. Transfer everything into a large enough roasting tin and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes.

For the topping: beat the eggs, flour and yogurt. Take the moussaka out the oven, cover with the topping and bake for another 10-15 minutes until browned. If you are struggling to get a nicely brown colour on the topping, put under a hot grill for another 5 or so minutes.

Serve with some yogurt on the side, Bulgarian Shopska Salad and with a sprinkle of parsley.

I hope you will enjoy yet another Bulgarian recipe and if you were looking for more, there are a few more on the blog.