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Prawns with corn

Moussaka (Cypriot style)

• 500 GRAM PRAWNS, cleaned
• 6 POTATOES, peeled and cooked
• 1 CAN OF CORN
• 2 CLOVES GARLIC, mashed
• 150 GRAM COCONUT MILK
• 2 TBSP SOY SAUCE
• BUNCH OF GREEN CORIANDER
• 25 GRAM ALMONDS
• 4 TBSP OLIVE OIL

• 500 GRAM EGGPLANT, sliced
• 500 GRAM ZUCCHINI, sliced
• 2 POTATOES, peeled and sliced
• 2 ONIONS, sliced
• 500 GRAM MINCED BEEF
• 2 TOMATOES, in cubes
• 1 TSP CINNAMON
• 1 TSP OREGANO
• 150 GRAM RED WINE
• 700 GRAM CHEESE SAUCE

Fry the prawns together with the garlic for three minutes, add the soy sauce. Mash the potatoes with the coconut milk; stir in the corn. Chop the coriander and the almonds (in the food processor) with the olive oil. Distribute the mashed potatoes over four plates, put the prawns on top and spoon the coriander sauce over the prawns.

Fry the eggplant, the zucchini and the potatoes on both sides until they are brown. Fry the onions in a separate pan for 3 minutes, add the minced beef and fry 5 minutes more. Add wine, cinnamon, oregano and tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for half an hour. Put half of the potatoes, egg plant and zucchini in a rectangular dish, followed by half of the tomato sauce. Repeat he process. Top the dish off with the cheese sauce. Bake 45 minutes at 180 degrees.

It is clear that musaqqa'a, moussaka from Greece and moussaka from Cyprus are members of the same family. The Greek and Cypriots make it a layered dish with béchamel sauce; the Arabs don't really layer it and use only tomato sauce. We will not fight about who was first. The Greek version is better known, but the word seems to have an Arabic origin.