One-pot Moussaka beef rice pilaf

Right here’s an amazing new beef mince and rice recipe to attempt! Assume – Greek Moussaka, within the type of a helpful one-pot recipe. Beef mince (floor beef) and eggplant sautéed with plenty of garlic and dried oregano, then steamed with rice in a tomato broth with pops of chickpeas. Cosy. Straightforward. Satisfying. Totally scrumptious!

One-pot Moussaka beef and rice

Consider in the present day’s recipe as a cross between moussaka and risotto. However a lot simpler to make than both!

It channels moussaka vibes with eggplant and beef mince cooked in a red-wine tomato sauce, heavy on the garlic and oregano (Greece approves!). And it’s obtained the hallmarks of an amazing risotto, with the juicy, oozy rice. By no means stodgy, by no means mushy.

It’s not genuine something. However it’s very, very tasty, and a very helpful one-pot meal for these occasions while you need one thing simple to make that’s filling, cosy and just a little bit totally different. As a result of – what do you imply you’ve by no means cooked rice with eggplant earlier than?? It really works so nicely! Eggplant is a sponge for flavour. It soaks up all that garlicky, tomatoey, beefy flavour that bursts in your mouth while you bit into a chunk!

Components in Moussaka Beef Rice Pilaf

Right here’s what you want to make this Moussaka(ish) pilaf:

Eggplant

One eggplant round 20 cm / 8″ lengthy, weighing round 300g/10 oz. It’s superb if it’s just a little bigger or smaller. I’ve made this with an eggplant 500g/1 lb huge and it labored nice and elevated the amount of the dish.

Different vegetable choices – The usage of eggplant on this recipe is what offers it moussaka vibes, although you’ll be able to completely use different greens. Zucchini (courgettes) instantly springs to thoughts, being an identical juicy vegetable (remember to lower them pretty massive in order that they don’t get too gentle), as does pumpkin and enormous items of tomato.

For the meat pilaf

• Beef – I’m utilizing beef right here however lamb is equally as scrumptious. Hen, turkey and pork additionally work however received’t style as “Greek”! 🙂

• Rice –  I like basmati as a result of it has a beautiful perfume that I feel fits this dish, and it holds up nicely to this one-pot fashion of cooking, in contrast to, for instance, jasmine rice which will get too gentle and mushy (in my humble rice-snob opinion). Lengthy grain and medium grain rice may also be used. Brief grain rice/sushi will work however not my first selection, it will get just a little softer than preferrred. This recipe as written isn’t appropriate for brown rice, risotto rice, paella rice, wild rice, black rice, quinoa or fake rice (cauliflower rice!). It may be made to work however the recipe will want changes to order of cooking, liquid portions and so forth.

• Chickpeas – I added this on the final minute as a result of it provides some good texture into what’s in any other case a giant pot of 1 dimensional gentle texture. It additionally bulks it up utilizing a low-GI starch that can preserve you feeling full for longer – win, win!

• Garlic – 4 huge cloves! Greece would have a coronary heart assault if we didn’t use garlic!

• Dried oregano – One other ingredient used usually in Greek cooking.

• Onion – Important flavour base.

• Pinot noir or different dry crimson wine – This may add a contact of additional depth of flavour into the dish, but it surely’s not the top of the world in case you skip it.

• Tomato paste and crushed tomato – For good tomatoey flavour!

• Hen inventory/broth – Higher than water. Low salt please! For those who solely have full salt, cut back the salt within the dish by 1/2 teaspoon or so.

Easy methods to make this one pot beef rice pilaf

1. Lower the eggplant into 1.5cm / 3/5″ cubes. I don’t peel eggplant as a result of I haven’t encountered bitter pores and skin or flesh points (largely bred out of recent eggplants). In case you are involved, sprinkle the eggplant with 1/4 teaspoon salt and go away in a colander for half-hour to sweat bitterness out. Pat off the surplus water then proceed with the recipe.

2. Sauté the onion and garlic in a big pot, then cook dinner the meat, breaking it up as you go, till you now not see crimson.

3. Bloom flavours – Subsequent, add the oregano and salt and cook dinner the meat for a great minute. This may make the oregano flavour bloom. Then add the tomato paste and cook dinner that for 1 minute too. Don’t shortcut this step! It cooks out the uncooked bitter flavour of tomato paste and sweetens it, in addition to including extra flavour into the meat.

4. Eggplant and rice – Add the eggplant and toss to coat nicely in all of the juicy beef. Combine till all of the cubes are coated and alter from white to crimson. Then add the rice and blend it by as nicely.

5. Cooking broth – Add the chickpeas, tomato, inventory, salt and pepper. Give it a great stir and produce the liquid to a simmer..

6. Steam rice 20 minutes – Wait till there are bubbles throughout the whole floor, not simply across the fringe of the pot. Put the lid on, flip the warmth all the way down to medium low (or low, in case your range is robust) and let the rice steam for 20 minutes. No peeking, no stirring!

7. Relaxation 10 minutes – On the 20 minute mark, take a fast peek to make sure the liquid has been principally absorbed. There’ll nonetheless be a layer of thick tomato on the floor which is okay. Take the pot off the range and let it relaxation for 10 minutes with the lid on. Throughout this time, the rice will end cooking and take up the remaining liquid. By no means, ever skip resting rice!! It’s important!

8. Serve – Take away the lid, stir by some chopped parsley. Then divide between bowls and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and pinch of additional parsley. Dig in with a spoon!

YUM. That’s one nice bowl of cosy deliciousness. And a whole meal at that with virtually 1 kg / 2 lb of greens (eggplant + canned tomatoes + onion, sure, onion completely counts), protein and starch.

Nice served plain, as pictured above, however a dollop of yogurt wouldn’t go astray both (which I added yesterday once I made this for a workforce lunch). And no person would say no to some heat flatbreads for dunking! – Nagi x

Watch find out how to make it

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Moussaka beef rice pilaf

Writer: Nagi

Mains, One Pot Meals

Greek(ish)

Servings5

Faucet or hover to scale

Recipe video above. That is an totally scrumptious and simple approach to flip a packet of beef mince into a comfy, satisfying one-pot dinner. Channeling Greek Moussaka flavours (however a fraction of the work!), this has gentle juicy eggplant items and beef cooked in a crimson wine tomato broth that is heavy on the garlic and oregano, whereas the addition of rice turns this right into a satisfying all-in-one dinner. I like how each the rice and eggplant soaks up all of the beefy flavour of the tomatoey broth.Although not in Moussaka, I added a can of chickpeas for some texture distinction amongst all of the gentle rice/eggplant, plus it is a good-for-you low GI starch that can preserve you feeling full for longer.

Directions

• Prepare dinner beef – Warmth the oil on a big pot over excessive warmth. Add the onion and garlic, cook dinner for two minutes. Add the meat and cook dinner, breaking it up as you go, till you now not see crimson. Add the 1/2 tsp salt and oregano. Prepare dinner for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook dinner for 1 minute (do not shortcut this step – Notice 3).

• Deglaze – Add the eggplant and the cubes are coated within the crimson beef juices. Add the wine, convey it to a simmer, stir (scrape the bottom of the pot) then let it principally evaporate.

• Broth – Add the rice and stir to coat. Add remaining elements, stir, convey to a simmer. Give it one final stir then as soon as there are light bubbles all throughout the floor (not simply across the edge), put the lid on and switch the warmth all the way down to medium low (or low, if utilizing a robust range).

• Steam rice – Prepare dinner for 20 minutes, no peeking, no stirring! The liquid can be absorbed by the stage although there can be a layer of tomato on the floor (peek shortly!).

• Relaxation – Take away the pot from the range and relaxation for 10 minutes (lid nonetheless on) – residual liquid can be absorbed and the rice will end cooking.

• Eat! Toss the rice – it is going to be juicy however not mushy! Divide between bowls, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley and luxuriate in!

Recipe Notes:

1. Protein choices – Lamb works equally as nicely. Hen, turkey and pork additionally work however received’t style as “Greek”! 🙂
2. Eggplant – I don’t peel, I’ve by no means had issues with bitterness within the pores and skin (which has largely been bred out of eggplant lately). For those who’re involved about bitterness, toss the cubes of eggplant in 1/4 tsp salt and go away in colander for half-hour. Pat dry, observe recipe.
3. Rice – I like basmati as a result of it has a beautiful perfume that I feel fits this dish. Lengthy grain and medium grain rice may also be used. Brief grain rice/sushi will work however not my first selection, it will get just a little softer than preferrred. Jasmine rice is just a little too gentle for such a cooking methodology (it should get mushy). Recipe not appropriate as written for brown rice, risotto rice, paella rice, wild rice, black rice, quinoa or fake rice (cauliflower rice!).
4. Cooking off the tomato paste will intensify and enhance the flavour, plus take off the bitter edge. Makes the meat and general dish tastier!
Leftovers will preserve for 3 days. Add a sprinkle of water to juice it up once more when reheating.
Vitamin per serving assuming 5 servings.

Vitamin Info:

Energy: 458cal (23%)Carbohydrates: 53g (18%)Protein: 31g (62%)Fats: 13g (20%)Saturated Fats: 3g (19%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 2gMonounsaturated Fats: 7gTrans Fats: 0.3gLdl cholesterol: 62mg (21%)Sodium: 986mg (43%)Potassium: 1039mg (30%)Fiber: 8g (33%)Sugar: 8g (9%)Vitamin A: 454IU (9%)Vitamin C: 15mg (18%)Calcium: 114mg (11%)Iron: 6mg (33%)

Key phrases: Beef and rice, beef mince recipe, Floor beef and rice, Floor beef recipe, One Pot Dinner

Did you make this recipe?I like listening to the way you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Lifetime of Dozer

In Dozer information, I lastly caved and obtained him a life jacket so he can swim safely!

I used to be actually attempting to keep away from it, pondering it might cement me additional into the Loopy Canine Woman territory (though secretly I do know I’m the pinnacle priestess of the membership). However after a aggravating incident of Dozer swimming out method too removed from shore, deaf to my frantic screeches to come back again, I caved. Security first!

To these questioning, Dozer is a wonderful swimmer however he has an old-boy medical situation because of which he isn’t allowed to swim due to the danger of water moving into his lungs.

The life jacket, nevertheless, retains him so good and buoyant above the water line and retains his head above water so he’s again swimming!!! He didn’t even bat an eyelid once I popped in on him. Look how glad he’s!

So, Lifetime of Dozer was fairly nice this previous weekend gone! I sit up for sharing extra glad updates within the coming months.

Thanks once more for all of the messages of help and phrases of recommendation for Dozer’s restoration. I’m genuinely so actually touched and grateful. – Nagi x