Lentil and Black Bean Moussaka

Suitable for vegetarians. Omit cheese for vegan version. Serves 8.
Prep time: 30 mins. Cooking time: 1 hour and 30 mins.

Ingredients:

• 800g potatoes, peeled, 
• 1 large onion, diced, 
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced, 
• 200g red lentils, 
• 1 tbsp za'atar (or add an extra tsp of cumin and oregano along with a tsp of sesame seeds and 0.5 tsp dried thyme), 
• 1 tsp ground cumin, 
• 2 tsp dried oregano, 
• 0.5 tsp smoked paprika, 
• 0.25 tsp chilli flakes, 
• 1 tbsp tomato puree, 
• 2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed, 
• 400ml vegetable stock, 
• 1 can chopped tomatoes, 
• juice of half a lemon, 
• 100g grated mozzarella, 
• 25g feta, crumbled, 
• 10-12 green olives, pitted and halved, 
• finely chopped parsley and a few dill leaves to garnish.

Method:

• Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a big pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until they are par-boiled and they are soft enough to slide a knife into the middle. Drain and let cool.
• Meanwhile, place a large pot over medium high heat with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until brown and soft. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant.
• Add the za'atar, cumin, oregano, paprika, chilli flakes, and tomato puree and mix to form a paste. Cook this down for a minute or two or until a fond starts to form on the bottom of the pot. Add the chopped tomatoes and the stock and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze. 
• Add the lentils and black beans and mix to combine. 
• Reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Let simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked and have absorbed most of the liquid but the mixture is still saucy. You may need to add a little more water during the cooking process if the lentils are absorbing too much and getting dry.
• Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Set the sauce aside. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into thin slices, about a quarter cm thick.
• Preheat oven to 175C.
• In a large casserole dish, spread out one third of the sauce. Next, arrange one third of the potatoes over top, covering the sauce. Sprinkle a little salt over the potatoes and one third of the mozzarella. Repeat this process three times so that you have three layers of sauce, potatoes, and cheese.

• On the top layer, add the feta and chopped olives. Drizzle a little olive oil over top so that the top layer of potatoes gets crispy in the oven.
• Lightly cover wth tin foil and bake for 45 minutes.
• Remove the foil and turn the oven up to 220C. Bake for another 8-10 minutes or until the top layer of cheese has gotten brown and crispy.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with dill, chopped parsley, and a little sumac. Slice it up and serve while still hot with an optional side salad of chopped tomatoes and cucumbers.