One-pot Moussaka beef rice pilaf

Right here’s an important new beef mince recipe to strive! Suppose – Greek Moussaka flavours, in risotto kind in a useful one-pot recipe. Eggplant, beef, tomato, a number of garlic and oregano. Cosy. Simple. 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 acquired the hallmarks of an important risotto, with the juicy, oozy rice. By no means stodgy, by no means mushy.

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

Components in Moussaka Beef Rice Pilaf

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

Eggplant

One eggplant round 20 cm / 8″ lengthy, weighing round 300g/10 oz. It’s wonderful if it’s a bit 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 possibly can completely use different greens. Zucchini (courgettes) instantly springs to thoughts, being an analogous juicy vegetable (remember to lower them pretty massive in order that they don’t get too comfortable), as does pumpkin and huge items of tomato.

For the meat pilaf

• Beef – I’m utilizing beef right here however lamb is equally as scrumptious. Rooster, 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 believe fits this dish, and it holds up properly to this one-pot fashion of cooking, in contrast to, for instance, jasmine rice which will get too comfortable and mushy (in my humble rice-snob opinion). Lengthy grain and medium grain rice will also be used. Quick grain rice/sushi will work however not my first selection, it will get a bit softer than preferrred. This recipe as written will not be 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 an enormous pot of 1 dimensional comfortable texture. It additionally bulks it up utilizing a low-GI starch that may 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 often in Greek cooking.

• Onion – Important flavour base.

• Pinot noir or different dry crimson wine – This can add a contact of additional depth of flavour into the dish, nevertheless it’s not the tip of the world if you happen to skip it.

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

• Rooster inventory/broth – Higher than water. Low salt please! When you solely have full salt, scale back the salt within the dish by 1/2 teaspoon or so.

Learn how to make this one pot beef rice pilaf

1. Reduce 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 contemporary 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 prepare 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 prepare dinner the meat for a very good minute. This can make the oregano flavour bloom. Then add the tomato paste and prepare 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 properly 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 way of as properly.

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

6. Steam rice 20 minutes – Wait till there are bubbles throughout all the floor, not simply across the fringe of the pot. Put the lid on, flip the warmth right 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 largely 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 way of 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 an entire meal at that with nearly 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 after I made this for a staff lunch). And no one would say no to some heat flatbreads for dunking! – Nagi x

Watch easy methods 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 completely scrumptious and straightforward technique 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 comfortable 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 comfortable rice/eggplant, plus it is a good-for-you low GI starch that may preserve you feeling full for longer.

Directions

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

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

• Broth – Add the rice and stir to coat. Add remaining elements, stir, carry 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 right down to medium low (or low, if utilizing a robust range).

• Steam rice – Cook dinner for 20 minutes, no peeking, no stirring! The liquid will probably be absorbed by the stage although there will probably 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 will probably be absorbed and the rice will end cooking.

• Eat! Toss the rice – will probably 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 properly. Rooster, 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 nowadays). When you’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 believe fits this dish. Lengthy grain and medium grain rice will also be used. Quick grain rice/sushi will work however not my first selection, it will get a bit softer than preferrred. Jasmine rice is a bit too comfortable for any such cooking technique (it’ll 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 Data:

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 acquired him a life jacket so he can swim safely!

I used to be actually attempting to keep away from it, pondering it will cement me additional into the Loopy Canine Girl territory (although secretly I do know I’m the top 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 superb swimmer however he has an old-boy medical situation because of which he’s not allowed to swim due to the chance of water entering into his lungs.

The life jacket, nonetheless, 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 after I popped in on him. Look how joyful he’s!

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

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