Valentina's Greek Vegetarian Moussaka My World Kitchen

MUSIC PLAYS

Whose kitchen are we going to today?

Hello, my name is Valentina and this is my house, come on in.

Hi.

-This is my kitchen and this is my mum.

-Hi, Mum.

Today I will be making a vegetarian moussaka

because it's my favourite food.

Valentina is going to make vegetarian moussaka in her own

special way.

Valentina's mum's family are Greek.

They come from Greece.

Greece is a small country in Europe made up of a mainland

and lots of islands.

It's one of the oldest countries in Europe and the capital city,

Athens, has been the centre of Greece for thousands of years.

Greek food is full of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Family mealtime is especially important to Greek people who

eat many healthy foods such as olives, lamb, fish, squid,

chickpeas and lots of vegetables.

Valentina has washed her hands, put on her apron

and she's ready to cook.

I'll be making a vegetarian moussaka for my friends.

It's a traditional Greek dish.

She's invited Thomas, Angela and Tiyam to taste

one of the ingredients before they come round

for a special Greek meal later.

What's that?

It feels kind of squishy.

I don't know what it is.

It's cooked aubergine.

-I don't like it.

-Uh-oh.

Ahhh, I don't like it. And it's spicy.

They are not very keen on the taste of aubergine.

-It tastes pretty bitter.

-Can Valentina change their minds?

I don't like it to taste.

Because aubergine is an important ingredient

in her vegetarian moussaka.

As well as aubergine, you will need cinnamon,

grated cheddar cheese,

thick Greek yoghurt,

olive oil, eggs,

ground nutmeg, tomato puree,

dried oregano, black pepper,

fresh garlic, fresh parsley,

tinned tomatoes, ground cumin,

potatoes, cooked green lentils,

spring onions and courgettes.

There. So what we'll do is chop up the courgettes.

You've got to chop off the bottom and top first.

And carefully cut the rest into slices.

Now put them on baking paper with a little olive oil,

just like Valentina.

Ask a grown-up to peel and boil potatoes for you

and carefully cut them into slices.

Put them on the tray as well and brush them all with olive oil.

Now you're going to add some pepper.

Use a sieve to drain the tinned tomatoes.

Then you are going to put the tomatoes in the jug

and then it is my favourite part.

Take off all the peel off your garlic.

Ask a grown-up to help if it's tricky.

Then we're going to put your garlic in a bag.

We are going to bash it.

Whoa, give it a good old bash.

Add the crushed garlic to the tomatoes.

Add some tomato puree.

And here comes those spices, ground cinnamon, ground cumin,

dried oregano and it's time to give it a good mix.

Then carefully cut up fresh parsley with scissors.

Add it to the tomato mixture.

And then we're going to get spring onions.

-Cut the hairy bit at the top.

-Don't forget the tail at the other end.

Cut them into small pieces.

You are going to put them

into your tomatoes.

Mix it, mix it, mix it!

Now it's time for our most important ingredient.

And you know what that is, don't you?

Aubergine! Aubergines are a fruit that grow on bushes.

The aubergines that we are used to seeing are purple, but they grow in

other colours too such as white, green and purple with white stripes.

Aubergines can be cooked like a vegetable.

They don't need peeling, just slice off the ends

and they are ready to be cooked.

Aubergines originally come from ancient China.

In olden times, some Chinese women used dye taken from aubergine skins

to stain their teeth black because it was fashionable.

Get your aubergines and put them on your tray.

Put sliced aubergine on oiled baking paper.

Brush with more oil and add black pepper.

-Then ask a grown-up to cook both trays in the oven for you.

-Mum!

Next, crack your eggs and check them for eggshell.

Then you've got to whisk it.

And then we're going to pour it into our yoghurt.

Now we've got to wipe our hands.

Well done, Valentina.

Add nutmeg and give it a stir.

When the vegetables have cooked and cooled,

lay the potatoes across the bottom of an ovenproof dish.

Add your tomato sauce.

Now we're going to put the aubergines on top of the sauce.

Then we're going to put the rest of the sauce on top of the aubergines.

And put the courgettes on top.

Now we put some lentils.

That looks so yummy.

I love lentils.

Then we are going to add the lovely sauce.

And my favourite part, we are going to add some cheese on the top.

AINSLEY LAUGHS

-Sprinkle, sprinkle fairy dust.

-You are doing that so well.

-Now ask a grown-up to put it in the oven for you.

-Mum!

It looks very yummy.

To make Valentina's Greek moussaka at home,

carefully slice off the ends of your courgettes and cut them into slices.

Now cut up some cooked and peeled potatoes.

Put both the courgette and potato slices onto oiled baking paper

on a baking tray and brush with oil.

Add black pepper and put them to one side.

Drained tinned chopped tomatoes using a sieve.

Peel the garlic,

put it into a plastic food bag

and crush it with a rolling pin.

Add the crushed garlic to the tomato mixture.

Add some tomato puree.

That's it.

Then add the ground cinnamon, ground cumin and dried oregano.

And give it a good old mix. Mix it, mix it, mix it!

Carefully chop the fresh parsley into small bits.

Top and tail the spring onions and cut them into small pieces.

Add both the chopped parsley

and spring onions to your tomato mixture and give it a good mix.

Now put slices of aubergine on baking paper on a baking tray

and brush with oil.

Add black pepper.

Now ask a grown-up to cook it for you with the potatoes

and courgettes.

Then crack an egg and whisk after checking for shell.

Then add it to the Greek yoghurt.

Do the same with another egg,

add ground nutmeg and give it a mix.

When the vegetables have cooked and cooled,

lay the potato slices in an oven proof dish.

Cover the potatoes with the layer of tomato mixture then aubergines.

Put the rest of the tomato mixture on top,

add a layer of courgette,

then cover everything with cooked green lentils.

Pour the yoghurt mixture on top.

Sprinkle on grated cheddar cheese,

then ask a grown-up to put it in the oven for you.

Now there is just enough time for Valentina to get the table

ready for her special Greek meal.

BELL RINGS That's my friends.

Well done, Valentina.

That table looks brilliant. So Mediterranean.

-Hi, guys.

-Hi, Valentina.

-Come on in.

Everyone has washed their hands and is ready to eat.

-This place looks amazing.

-Thank you, Tom.

I've got a very yummy Greek dish for you.

It's called vegetarian moussaka.

OK, guys, your vegetarian moussaka is ready.

It's cooled down, it's ready to eat.

The cooked dish has turned golden brown in the oven.

It looks delicious.

Wow! Look at that.

Earlier on, no-one was very keen on the taste of aubergine.

Do you think they will like it cooked in the vegetarian moussaka?

Wow, it tastes great.

Thank you.

-It tastes great, Valentina.

-Thank you, Tiyam.

Do you know what the special ingredient is?

ALL: Aubergine.

Yes, you're right.

Do you like the taste of aubergine in the vegetarian moussaka?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Well, that's great.

-Well done, Valentina.

Everyone's changed their minds, they do like the taste

of aubergine now it is cooked in your vegetarian moussaka.

-It was really nice, Valentina.

-Thank you for coming to My World Kitchen.