- 2kg large aubergines (eggplant)
- Bay leaf
- 2kg potatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for frying
Meat Sauce:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1kg ground beef or lamb
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 2 cups of crushed tomatoes
Béchamel sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 L of milk
- Salt and pepper
- Nutmeg (optional)
- Grated cheese
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the aubergines into thin slices – don't remove the purple skin. Salt and leave to drain. Peel and cut the potatoes into thin slices. Weigh them down in a bowl of salted water with an inverted plate.
Pour oil into a frying pan and fry the aubergines on one side and then on the other untill evenly brown. Drain your potato slices, and fry them after the aubergines. Put the fried veggies into a pan lined with paper towel to drain off as much oil as possible.
While the veggies are draining, make the sauce. Heat the oil in a pan. Brown your ground beef/lamb with the garlic and onions. Add your tomatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes.
Take a pan that is large enough to fit in your oven and at least 3 inches deep. Line the pan with a layer of potatoes. Next, add a layer of aubergines, and top it with half of the sauce. Do the same again.
Béchamel Sauce: melt the butter in a pot. Add the flour and mix constantly with a whisk. Add salt and pepper, and a dash of nutmeg (optional). Add the milk, and keep whisking constantly while cooking until the sauce thickens. Pour it over the casserole and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until the top crust is brown.