Classic Lasagne

Ingredients:
Uncooked Lasagne sheets - 250 gms (12 sheets)
Cheddar cheese - 200 grams
Mozarella cheese - 150 grams

For the Red Meaty sauce
Minced meat - half Kilo
Onion sliced thinly - 1 medium size / 1 cup
Garlic - 4 large cloves
Pepper powder - 1 Teaspoon
Carrot - 1 large,sliced thinly
Dried oregano - 1/2 teaspoon
Dried basil - 1/2 teaspoon
Red lasagne Sauce (Ragu) - 1 - 1 1/2 cups
Olive Oil / vegetable oil - 2-3 tablespoon
Salt - as required.

For the white sauce (Bechamel sauce)

Milk - 3 cups

Butter - 2 tablesppons

Plain flour - 2 tablespoons

Pepper powder - half teaspoon

Nutmeg powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - as required

Chicken cube - 1

PREPARATION:

For Meat Sauce

Heat a saucepan and add 2 tbs of oil. Saute onion and garlic until pink. When pink, add thinly sliced carrots and stir for few minutes. After that, add minced meat and mix well . Add salt,pepper,dry basil leaves and dry oregano leaves to season and cook until the meat is tender and well cooked.Add little water if needed. The Sauce should not be too dry.It should be moist but not liquidy as you can see in the picture below.When the meat is well cooked, switch of flame. Add the lasagne sauce and mix well.Keep it aside.

Minced meat sauce

For Bechamel sauce (white sauce)

Heat another saucepan, Add two tablespoon butter and melt it. When completely melted,Add 2 rounded tablespoons of plain flour and stir for few seconds for the flour to get cooked. Then add Milk slowly and whisk/stir well and make sure that no lumps are formed. Now add 1 chicken cube or 1 tablespoon of chicken powder.Keep stirring to avoid lumps.Add nutmeg powder,pepper powder and salt to season. If you find it too thick add little milk or water to loosen it.Take out from flame.
N.B: Make sure that the sauce is not too thick;else your lasagne will end up like a cake and dry!
Prepare lasagne sheet according to the packet instructions. It normally takes around 10 minutes to cook Add a teaspoon of oil in the boiling water and little salt in the boiling water while preparing it.And stir few times in between.Else the sheets will stick together. Can cook 2-3 sheets at a time also to avoid sticking.When sheets are cooked,pat them dry in a cotton towel.

Layering the Lasagne

Take a dry oven-proof dish and pour around 5 tablespoon of white sauce at the bottom of the dish and spread it all over the dish. Now place the lasagne sheets side by side to make the first layer of sheets at the bottom of dish. Divide the meat sauce into two halves. Spread the first half of the meat sauce over this sheet. Pour some white sauce all over the meat sauce. Sprinkle with a good amount of grated cheese.

Now place another layer of lasagne sheet side by side over the cheese. Spread the other half of meat sauce over the sheets and pour good amount of white sauce all over the meat sauce. Now place another layer of lasagne sheets.Pour the rest of white sauce and sprinkle another good amount of grated cheese all over.Sprinkle with oregano on top. preheat the oven at 180 degrees celcius for 10 minutes. Bake the lasagne for about 20-30 minutes or until the cheese on top starts turning golden brown.