Cooking the meat
Heat evoo on med. high heat. Add the diced onions. Cook for few mins. Then add the frozen peas. Cook till they soften a bit. Add ½ tsp garlic ginger paste. Cook for few mins. Then add the ground meat. I used chicken. Cook for some time till the meat loosens up. About 5-7 mins. Add the dried herbs and spices - oregano, parsley flakes, basil, curry powder, Baharat and smoked paprika. Cook for 7-8 mins. Then add salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 mins or till done.

Making Bechamel
Heat pot on med heat. Melt ¼ cup butter. Then add ¼ cup all purpose flour. Then whisk. Typically, the butter to flour ratio is 1:1. After the initial whisk I added some more flour, a little less ¼ cup for the 2nd time. Sometimes it depends on the brand of the flour, the ability to absorb moisture. There’s a lot whisking in making Bechamel. Gradually the flour will absorb the butter and turn into a mush, which is called a Roux.

At this point add a little bit of milk and whisk. It will make the Roux softer and prevent from having lumps. Then add the rest of the 1st cup of milk and whisk, whisk, whisk. The Roux will become smoother and will start to gain volume. Whisking is key here. Then add 2nd cup of milk and whisk. It will gradually become a creamy sauce. Add the 3rd cup of milk and whisk away. Temp should be med-low all through out. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg, and again whisk away. Whisking is the name of the game.

After a lot of whisking Bechamel should be very thick and that’s when its ready.

Baking
Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking oil. Spread the cooked ground meat evenly. Then put Bechamel on top of the meat. Even it out making a smooth surface. Bake at 400F for 40 mins, then rest it for 10 mins. Cut and Enjoy !!