One-pot Moussaka Beef Rice Pilaf
Here’s a great new beef mince recipe to try! Think – Greek Moussaka flavours, in risotto form in a handy one-pot recipe. Eggplant, beef, tomato, lots of garlic and oregano. Cosy. Easy. Satisfying. Utterly delicious!
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 got the hallmarks of a great risotto, with the juicy, oozy rice. Never stodgy, never mushy.
It’s not authentic anything. But it’s very, very tasty, and a really handy one-pot meal for those times when you want something straightforward to make that’s filling, cosy and a little bit different. Because – what do you mean you’ve never cooked rice with eggplant before?? It works so well! Eggplant is a sponge for flavour. It soaks up all that garlicky, tomatoey, beefy flavour that bursts in your mouth when you bit into a piece!
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 onion , diced
- 500g / 1 lb beef mince / ground beef (or lamb)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (for the beef)
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 300g/ 10oz eggplant (~ 20cm/8" long), cut into 1.5cm / 3/5" cubes
- 1/3 cup pinot noir or other dry red wine (optional)
- 1 cup basmati rice , uncooked
- 400g / 14 oz can chickpeas , drained (or other beans of choice)
- 400g / 14 oz can crushed tomato
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
- 1 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt (for broth)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp parsley , finely chopped (optional)
- Extra virgin olive oil , for drizzling
- Dollop of Greek yogurt optional