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Turkish Cauliflower Musakka

Turkish Cauliflower Musakka

By Rose HattabaughJanuary 12, 2022

  • Makes
    4 to 6 servings
  • Cook Time
    50 minutes
  • Rating

Turkish musakka is a simpler, lighter dish than Greek moussaka, its better-known cousin. There’s no béchamel, no layering, no baking—the only cooking vessel needed for this version is a 12-inch skillet with a secure-fitting lid. Musakka is commonly made with eggplant, but our vegetable of choice here is cauliflower, which takes on a tender, silky texture when fully cooked. A pound of ground meat makes this dish rich and substantial. Either beef or lamb works, so use whichever you prefer. Serve the musakka with rice pilaf or warm flatbread.

Tip

Don’t discard the center stem of the cauliflower. Cut it into ½-inch pieces as you would the florets.

Ingredients
  • 2

    tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1

    medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

  • 2

    cubanelle or banana peppers, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • ⅓

    cup tomato paste

  • 3

    medium garlic cloves, minced

  • 2

    teaspoons ground cumin

  • 2

    teaspoons Aleppo pepper or 2 teaspoons sweet paprika, plus ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1

    pound 80 percent lean ground beef or ground lamb

  • 1 ½

    pound head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into ½-inch chunks

  • 12

    ounces ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped

  • ½

    cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, dill or a combination

Step 1

In a 12-inch skillet over medium, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, peppers and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and begins to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, garlic, cumin, Aleppo pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the tomato paste begins to brown and stick to the pan, about 1 minute.

Step 2

Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat into small pieces, until it is no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the cauliflower, tomatoes and ¾ cup water; bring to a simmer over medium-high, scraping up any browned bits. Cover, reduce to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender and the mixture is slightly saucy, 16 to 18 minutes.

Off heat, stir in the parsley. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.